The Adventures of Monk Xuanzang

In recent days we have embarked on a long journey to discover some of the secrets of one of China’s most famous cities, Xi’an, the ancient capital of the Chinese Empire, a key stop along the Silk Road and home to famous works such as Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army. Today we focus on another place in this special city and will learn about another piece of its history.

By Alessandra Ivaldi / 8.08.2026

Among the main attractions of Xi’an is the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. It was built in 652 AD within the pre-existing Da Ci’en temple complex. Beyond the beauty of the place, what makes the pagoda unique is its immeasurable historical value, linked to the eventful life of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, born in 602 AD.

Since he was a very young boy, Xuanzang devoted himself to the in-depth study of sacred texts and was ordained a monk at an early age, in recognition of the profound zeal he demonstrated in learning Buddhist doctrine. This occurred in present-day Sichuan Province, in southwestern China.

After ordination as a monk, Xuanzang began traveling throughout the empire in search of sacred Buddhist texts. The latter had been brought to China from India, but in fragmentary form and moreover not always translated correctly. Xuanzang was particularly concerned by the incomplete nature of these sources, which were often subject to misinterpretation due to translation errors and provided conflicting explanations regarding the core principles of the original Buddhist doctrine.

His concern was such, that the already arduous journeys through the great provinces of the empire were not enough to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. As time passed, an idea impossible for the time found its way into the mind of the tenacious Xuanzang, who became convinced that the only way to know true Buddhist doctrine was to learn it directly from monks in India. But of course, such a project was absolutely unfeasible at the time: the geographical distance separating Xuanzang from India was an impassable obstacle, and what’s more, the Chinese emperor forbade his subjects from traveling abroad. At this point, what did our intrepid Xuanzang do in your opinion?

Of course, he did not give up and resign himself to the lack of correct information on Buddhist doctrine. He decided to violate the laws of the Empire and secretly set out on a journey that, in its historical era, seemed like a real suicide mission!

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

He left secretly, convincing some Buddhist guards to let him pass through the gates of Yumen Guan, a frontier pass known in ancient times as the Jade Gate, the gateway to the Chinese Empire along the Silk Road. From there he fled northwest, crossed the Gobi Desert, skirted the Tien Shan mountains and reached the Turfan Oasis, a place that is now part of China but was then a small autonomous kingdom. In Turfan the local king recognized the importance of Xuanzang’s enterprise and provided him with a passport and valuable items to finance his long journey.

Xuanzang’s mission then continued, proving increasingly adventurous. The monk faced attacks from groups of brigands, crossed mountain passes and met in his path many monks and rulers who proved benevolent towards him. He reached as far as Samarkand, in present-day Uzbekistan, where he is said to have impressed the Persian nobles with his preaching, prompting them to embrace the dictates of Buddhism.

Summarizing Xuanzang’s numerous encounters and adventures in one article is almost impossible. I will therefore limit myself to specifying that his journey lasted for many more years and led him to his original destination, India, which Xuanzang explored far and wide, driven by the desire to see with his own eyes the main places linked to the life of the Buddha. He learned a lot from the local monks and obtained relics and numerous sacred texts written in Sanskrit, which he had meanwhile learned to understand.

On his way back to China he continued to preach Buddhist doctrine. Legend has it that in 645 AD he returned to the emperor’s court in a caravan pulled by 20 horses, packed with sacred texts of immeasurable value. He was gloriously welcomed by the Tang Emperor Taizong, who invited him to write a book about his adventures, still known today by the English title Records of the Western Regions. This is an extremely important document in order to reconstruct the political, social and religious situation of ancient India. Furthermore, Xuanzang’s accurate descriptions have proven very useful for modern archaeologists, allowing them to locate the remains of very ancient monuments related to the Buddhist religion.

The emperor entrusted Xuanzang with the leadership of the Da Ci’en temple, recently built in honour of Tang Taizong’s mother, Empress Zhangsun. It is at this very moment that it was decided to build the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a safe place to store the relics and precious but very fragile texts transported by Xuanzang from India. For this purpose, the pagoda was built using bricks rather than wood, which would have made it safer and less prone to fire risk. It may seem obvious, but this detail represented a major innovation for the time, as the pre-existing pagodas were always built of wood.

The original plan called for five floors, but in the following years the pagoda was expanded, adding two more floors and giving it its current appearance. Each plan is associated with a precise religious meaning.

Today it is permitted to climb to the top of the pagoda and contemplate the Da Ci’en temple and the surrounding neighbourhood from above. Inside the temple, large depictions of Xuanzang’s adventures during his legendary journey can be seen. And about this, you might think that, after such an undertaking, the monk Xuanzang could consider himself satisfied with the results obtained and lead a quieter life inside the temple... Wrong, Xuanzang still surprises us. In fact, he did not consider his immense work to be concluded.

Once the relics and sacred texts were safely placed inside the pagoda, Xuanzang embarked on a new endeavour: translating that immense heritage into Chinese and ensuring the absolute correctness of the new translation. His ambitious goal was to deliver to the Chinese population an official and definitive version of the dictates of Buddhist doctrine, which should have been both understandable to most believers and as faithful as possible to the original texts. It was certainly no small feat and Xuanzang worked day and night, aided also by the enthusiastic disciples who had gathered around him in Xi’an. His work helped spread Buddhism throughout China and beyond, as his school of thought reached other countries as well.

But now let’s go back to the present day. Anyone visiting Xi’an cannot help but stop at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and contemplate it at least from outside. The building seems to emanate an aura of mysticism that even dominates the modernity of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Exploring the surroundings of the temple is also an evocative experience. The surrounding neighborhood is dotted with statues depicting crafts and characters from ancient China, specifically from the Tang Dynasty era. Chinese tourists usually come to this place in traditional costumes, so as to take unforgettable photos with the iconic pagoda in the background. In addition, as you move away from the temple in a southerly direction, you can find numerous shops and places where you can sample local delicacies. At night, the entire area is illuminated with warm colors, which give the place an atmosphere of solemn power and demonstrate all the pride that the citizens of Xi’an still feel at the memory of their glorious past.

The last unforgettable gem of Xi’an concerns the North Square, a square on the north side of the Da Ci’en Temple. This square is entirely occupied by an enormous fountain, very famous for its Music Fountain Show, which is repeated several times a day. The best show, however, remains the evening one. Describing in words the beauty of such an event is almost impossible and unfortunately even the photos and videos are unable to convey the visual impact of the impressive spectacle. Different melodies spread through the air and the water jets of the fountain are modulated with different degrees of power to the rhythm of music. They reach astonishing heights and are illuminated from within by beams of coloured light, which in turn vary depending on the music. And amidst all this splendour, the giant pagoda continues to dominate, like a silent, ancient ruler surrounded by colourful, celebrating subjects.

The Music Fountain Show

The wonders of Xi’an are not over yet, but an entire book would be needed to explore them all. I hope my latest articles have managed to tickle your imagination and make you love, at least for a few days, a city that is so rich in wonders that it seems like it has just popped out of a book of fairy tales.