The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Silk Road brought all sorts of strange and wonderful ideas to China in addition to the material trade. In 652 A.D., Xuan Zang returned from India, where he had spent 18 years studying Buddhism. The entire city celebrated his return. The crown prince Li Zhi had built the Temple of Great Mercy and Goodness in 648 A.D. in honor of his mother. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was added to preserve the manuscripts of Buddhist texts that Xuan Zang had brought with him to translate into Chinese. Of note is the calligraphy set into the walls on both sides of the south door of the pagoda. It is still possible to climb to the top of this structure.

The quest of Xuan Zang is the basis for a folk tale called The Journey to the West. The Monkey King is a rebellious sort who is sent to live inside a mountain until he mends his ways. When Xuan Zang plans his trip to India, he needs an escort. Buddha is asked if he will allow the Monkey King to take on the task. The Monkey King has his work cut out for him. Xuan Zang trusts everyone, including evil spirits disguised as good spirits. The Monkey King prefers this good man to be a little more cynical and certainly less innocent. The Monkey King meets terrible forces of evil of every shape and size and defeats them all. The story ends when the group manages eventually to reach the west. Today the story is of the Monkey King's bravery and ability to resist evil. The original story emphasized the need to rebel and not believe everything you hear.