Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( Dayan Ta; Yanta Nanlu; admission to grounds ¥50, entry into pagoda ¥30;
8am-7pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar)
Xi'an's most famous landmark, this pa-
goda dominates the surrounding modern buildings. One of China's best ex-
amples of a Tang-style pagoda (squarish rather than round), it was completed
in AD 652 to house the Buddhist Sutras brought back from India by the monk
Xuan Zang.
Surrounding the pagoda is
Da Ci'en Temple
( Daci'en Si), one of the largest
temples in Tang Chang'an.
Bus 610 from the Bell Tower and bus 609 from the South Gate drop you off
at the pagoda square; the entrance is on the south side.
Museum
XI'AN MUSEUM
( Xi'an Bowuguan; 76 Youyi Xilu; 8.30am-7pm, closed Tue)
Housed in the
pleasant grounds of the Jianfu Temple is this museum featuring relics un-
earthed in Xi'an over the years. Don't miss the basement, where a large-scale
model of ancient Xi'an gives a good sense of the place in its former pomp and
glory.
Also in the grounds is the
Little Goose Pagoda
( Xiaoyan Ta;
8.30am-7pm, closed Tue)
. The top of the pagoda was shaken off by an earth-
quake in the middle of the 16th century, but the rest of the 43m-high structure
is intact. The pagoda, a rather delicate building of 15 progressively smaller
tiers, was built from AD 707 to 709 and housed Buddhist scriptures brought
back from India by the pilgrim Yi Jing. Admission to the grounds is free but
climbing up the pagoda requires a ¥30 ticket.
Bus 610 runs here from the Bell Tower; from the South Gate take bus 203.
TEMPLE OF THE EIGHT IMMORTALS
( Baxian An; Yongle Lu; admission ¥5; 7.30am-5.30pm Mar-Nov, 8am-5pm
Dec-Feb)
Xi'an's largest Taoist temple dates back to the Song dynasty and is
still an active place of worship. Empress Cixi, the mother of the Last Emperor,
stayed here in 1901 after fleeing Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion.
Bus 502 runs close by the temple (eastbound from Xi Xinjie).
Taoist
