Photo Gallery

Little Goose Pagoda (temple built 684, pagoda 707)

Xianfu temple was dedicated in 684 to commemorate the centenary of the death of Tang emperor Li Zhi. In 698 the name of the temple was changed to "Jian Fu". It was here that Yijing, a famous Chinese pilgrim monk, translated Buddhist sutras brought from India through Sumatra. The dedicated monk appealed for funds from the reigning emperor for to preserve the sutras in a fitting building. When the funds could not be found, the Emperor appealed to his numerous concubines to contribute to the project. The palace women, who were more faithful to Buddha than he, responded with a generous flood of donations. There was so much money left over that Yijing was able to complete the project with money to spare.

The pagoda has survived nearly 70 major earthquakes over its 1,300 year lifetime. There is a famous story that a 1487 quake split the pagoda in two. Another quake 34 years later smashed the two halves back together. The story of the miraculous "healing" is recorded on a lintel of the pagoda by the skeptical official Wang He, who visited the temple on a night in 1555.

On the grounds of the temple is an enormous bell cast in the Kin dynasty in 1192.

Pagodas like Xiaoyanta provided inspiration for generations of Korean builders. Note the striking similarity between Xiaoyanta and the Sinsedong Pagoda at Andong, Korea, built in the same era.