After leaving the Children Village Orphanage we returned to our hotel. It was time to take a breather before the evening excursion to the Golden Goose Pagoda and to see the water and light show at the adjoining plaza.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (Chinese: 大雁塔; pinyin: Dàyàn Tǎ), is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. It was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five stories, although the structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming Dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurinesBuddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveller Xuanzang.
Due to an earthquake about 455 years ago the pagoda has a distinct lean to the west.
Our guide called it the leaning tower of Xi'an.
Surroundings and history
The original pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (r. 649-683), then standing at a height of 54 m (177 ft). However, this construction of rammed earth with a stone exterior facade eventually collapsed five decades later. The ruling Empress Wu Zetian had the pagoda rebuilt and added five new stories by the year 704 AD. However, a massive earthquake in 1556 heavily damaged the pagoda and reduced it by three stories, to its current height of seven stories. The entire structure leans very perceptibly (several degrees) to the west. Its related structure, the 8th century Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, only suffered minor damage in the 1556 earthquake (still unrepaired to this day). The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was extensively repaired during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and renovated again in 1964. The pagoda currently stands at a height of 64 m (210 ft) tall and from the top it offers views over the current city of Xi'an.
During the Tang Dynasty the pagoda was located within the grounds of a monastery, within a walled ward of the larger southeastern sector of the city, then known as Chang'an. The monastic grounds around the pagoda during the Tang Dynasty had ten courtyards and a total of 1,897 bays. In those days graduate students of the Advanced Scholars examination in Chang'an inscribed their names at this monastery.
Close by the pagoda is the Temple of Great Maternal Grace; Da Ci'en. This temple was originally built in AD 589 and then rebuilt AD 647 in memory of his mother Empress Wende by Li Zhi who later became the Tang Emperor Gaozong. The monk Xuanzang's statue stands in front of the temple area.
In the modern square at the base of the pagoda & temple complex they have a light and water show at night.
In honor of their US visitors they decided to make the display RED, WHITE and BLUE.
(Just kidding)
The crowd that attended was large, talkative and polite and included people of all ages.
The courteous locals made sure that mom was able to get right up front for a great view.
For a view of the water plaza in daylight click link: Pagoda Water Plaza
The show was about 30 minutes long and was comprised of a wide variety of music, from traditional, classical and contemporary Chinese to western classical and pop.
The music and lights were nicely coordinated.
The tower's lean is quite noticeable in these photos.
At long last the lights dimmed, the water stilled, the quiet calm was restored and we were left with the subdued night and the majesty of the highlighted Big Wild Goose Pagoda dominating the night skyline as it has done for millennia.
After the show we searched for a place to get some ice cream, someone said there was a Dairy Queen off the square but we couldn't find it. We ended up at a KFC. I tried a spicy chicken wrap just to see. It had Asian seasonings and was definitely not what you would get in the states. It wasn't bad just different.
The Bell Tower
On the way back to the hotel we passed the bell tower.
A part of the old Xi'an is still preserved within its city walls. The terracota warriors, the city's main attraction is worth the visit for certain, however the old town is a living contrast of preserved monuments and history and a modern Chinese city.
Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China, it was the capital of the old Chinese Empire.
Compared to Rome and Constantinople, Xi'an was already one of the largest cities in the world.
The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.
The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 118 feet (36 meters ) high. It stands on a brick base 116.4 feet (35.5 meters) long and 28.2 feet (8.6 meters) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.
The tower was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.
The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a staircase spirals up. The gray bricks of the square base, the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting make the tower a colorful and dramatic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers of eaves reduce the impact of rain on the building.
On the second floor, a plaque set in the west wall records the relocation of the tower in 1582. When first built in 1384, it stood near the Drum Tower on the central axis of the city, and marked the center of the city from the Tang Dynasty through the following Five Dynasties and the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As the city grew the geographical center changed. Therefore, in 1582, the Tower was moved 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) east of the original site. Except for the base, all parts are original, and history tells us that the relocation was accomplished quickly and inexpensively, making it a truly notable achievement in the architectural history in China.
Originally, the tower housed the famous Jingyun Bell from the Tang Dynasty. Legend has it that although nothing had changed in the tower, the Jingyun Bell fell silent during the Ming Dynasty, so the current bell, a much smaller one weighing only 5 tons, was cast. The original Jingyun Bell can now be seen in Forest of Stone Steles Museum.
The engravings on the doors of the Tower reflect the decorative fashion of Ming and Qing Dynasties, recounting popular stories of ancient China.
On each side of the base, there is an arched door 19.6 feet (6 meters) high. In the past, vehicles were allowed to pass through the arches and under the tower, but as the city grew and the volume of traffic incresed this became impractical, so a bright, spacious pedestrian subway has been constructed under the tower. The entrance to the tower is from this subway.
A fenced-in area around the tower is planted with grass and flowers. In early spring, the tender plum blossoms and bright new grass surrounding the old tower provide a harmonious contrast. Not far from the Tower, modern shopping malls and a brightly decorated square reveal the prosperity of the city. When night falls, lanterns hung from the eaves illuminate the tower, making it even more enchanting.
Nearby the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower (which we will see on another day), it completes the architecture of city centre in Xi'an, surronded by the preserved city walls.
The next morning we boarded the bus again and left the hotel for our next adventure.
One of the amazing things in China was the incredible amount of construction underway. In every direction you looked there were construction cranes visible on the skyline.
Next up:
A visit to a Xi'an pet and garden shop
No comments:
Post a Comment