Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi’an

Is the Small Wild Goose Pagoda worth visiting?

Yes, if you have more than a day in Xi’an. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔, Xiaoyanta) is a Tang brick tower built in 707–709 under Emperor Zhongzong to store Buddhist sutras the monk Yijing carried back from India by sea. It's about 43 m tall and has survived for well over a thousand years.

It stands in the gardens of the former Jianfu Temple (荐福寺), one of the great translation centres of Tang-era Chang'an. Today it's not a working monastery but part of the Xi’an Museum (西安博物院): leafy grounds, a few temple halls, the pagoda and a modern museum of the city's own finds — all on one free booking.

The pagoda once had 15 tiers; 13 remain, and the top is missing, which gives it its slightly blunt silhouette. Its eaves are packed tightly together and taper in a soft curve, so it's often likened to a bamboo shoot — a very different shape from the stepped Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.

YesGo's take: this is the calmest major sight in Xi’an. No fountain shows, no crowds of tour groups, just shady paths and a genuine Tang pagoda you can walk all the way round. On a one-day visit, put the Terracotta Army and the wall first. With two or three days, come here — ideally first thing in the morning.

Is it free, and how do you book?

Entry is free. One reservation covers the gardens, the pagoda grounds, the Jianfu Temple halls and the Xi’an Museum. But it's not walk-in: according to TravelChinaGuide and Dahe Piaowu, entry is split into slots — 8:30–11:00, 11:00–13:00, 13:00–15:00 and 15:00–17:00 — and each booking is tied to a slot and an ID.

Book through the official Xi’an Museum (西安博物院) WeChat account, the museum website, or the Chinese apps Meituan and Dianping. Guides disagree on how far ahead the booking window opens — anything from a few days to a week — so book as soon as your date is fixed, especially for weekends and Chinese holidays.

Bring the original passport you booked with. China For Travelers notes that the turnstiles are built for Chinese ID cards, so foreign visitors go through the window; allow a few extra minutes.

As nothing is charged at the gate, payment isn't an issue here. You'll only need money for the metro, water and the museum shop. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work best linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay; keep some small yuan notes as backup.

Opening hours and the Tuesday closure

Sources agree that the complex is closed on Tuesdays, except on public holidays, and on Chinese New Year's Eve. TravelChinaGuide limits the Tuesday closure to November–April, while others apply it all year — assume Tuesday is off.

Hours are seasonal. Dahe Piaowu gives 8:30–18:00 from 15 March to 31 October (last entry 17:00) and 9:00–17:30 from 1 November to 14 March (last entry 16:30). In July and August guides report longer hours, up to 19:00. We couldn't open an official timetable, so treat these as approximate.

In practice, arrive by 15:00 if you want time for both the gardens and the museum. Weekday mornings are quietest; during holidays the museum sometimes extends its hours, which it announces on its WeChat account.

Can you climb the Small Wild Goose Pagoda?

Probably not — plan to see it from the outside. China For Travelers says access to the interior is irregular and depends on maintenance, weather and crowds, and advises against counting on it. Some guides say climbing isn't allowed at all; others still describe the internal stairs; older listings mention a separate fee to go up.

Inside, narrow wooden stairs cling to the walls, switching between the east and west sides, and the windows are small. Even when it is open, don't expect the views you'd get elsewhere — the point of coming is the pagoda itself and the gardens around it.

If climbing matters to you, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda sells a separate ticket to go up, and is the more reliable choice.

What to see

• The pagoda — walk all the way round: each face has an arched opening and tightly stacked grey-brick eaves.
• The bell tower — home to a large Jin-dynasty bronze bell; “the morning bell at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda” is one of the classic views of the region.
• Jianfu Temple halls — the gate and main hall on the axis leading to the pagoda.
• The Xi’an Museum — the city's own collection, strongest on the Tang era. Good, but not a substitute for the Shaanxi History Museum.
• The gardens — old trees and quiet shady paths. TravelChinaGuide lists cherry blossom in late March, hydrangeas and lotus in June, and golden ginkgo and maples from late October into November.
• The main path — the best photo spot, with the pagoda framed behind a red-pillared hall.

Small vs Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda details come from YesGo's page on it; prices and hours for both are unofficial.

A short history

According to English Wikipedia, Jianfu Temple was founded in Chang'an, the Tang capital, at the end of the 7th century, shortly after the death of Emperor Gaozong, on the site of the former residence of his son, the future Emperor Zhongzong. It became one of the city's leading centres for translating Buddhist scriptures.

Between 707 and 709 the court paid for a pagoda here to house the sutras brought from India by the monk Yijing. It came to be called the “small” goose pagoda as a counterpart to the Giant one, built half a century earlier for Xuanzang's sutras.

The top of the pagoda, with its two highest tiers, was lost in the Ming era, when the base was also re-clad in a new layer of brick. A large Jin-dynasty bronze bell was later moved to the bell tower beside it. Today the Xi’an Museum surrounds the pagoda, and in 2014 the pagoda joined the UNESCO World Heritage List with the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and other Silk Road sites.

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How to do it right

• Book as soon as your date is fixed — free weekend slots run out.
• Bring the original passport; a photo or copy won't do.
• Foreign visitors: use the staffed window, not the turnstiles.
• Don't come on a Tuesday unless it's a public holiday.
• Don't plan on climbing — enjoy the pagoda from the gardens and the main path.
• Use Exit F at Nanshaomen — it's the closest to the North Gate.
• Pair it with the South Gate of the city wall: one metro stop or a 20–25-minute walk apart.

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