Xi'an · Tang Daci'en Temple Ruins Park

After leaving the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, head to the Tang Daci'en Temple Ruins Park located to its west.
At first, I felt a bit confused. Wasn't the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda part of Daci'en Temple? Why was there a ruins park built right next to it? With this question in mind, I strolled around the park.
This ruins park mainly consists of classical Chinese garden scenes and numerous sculptures. The pavilions and towers are built in Tang-style architecture, and most of the sculptures are related to Buddhism. The park is shaded with lush trees and has a serene environment, making it a great place for leisure walks. Newlyweds also come here to take wedding photos.
In the 22nd year of the Tang Zhenguan era (648), Crown Prince Li Zhi (who later became Emperor Gaozong of Tang) built a new temple south of the imperial palace city at the site called "Jingjue Former Jialan" to commemorate his mother, Empress Wende. After the temple was completed, Emperor Taizong of Tang named it Daci'en Temple. At that time, the temple covered an area of 342 acres, seven times larger than the current temple, so this site was also part of the original Daci'en Temple.
After the completion of Daci'en Temple, Master Xuanzang was appointed as the first abbot. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was personally supervised by him and was used to store the scriptures he brought back from India. He translated scriptures here for over ten years and founded the Buddhist Faxiang school.
After enduring over a thousand years of wind and rain, Daci'en Temple was repeatedly built and destroyed, with only the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda preserved intact. The current temple is just the western tower courtyard of the original temple.
In 1988, Funabashi City in Japan became a sister city to Xi'an and funded the construction of Chunxiao Garden, covering about 45 acres on the ruins. In 2007, Xi'an renovated Chunxiao Garden and renamed it Tang Daci'en Temple Ruins Park.
There is a cedar tree in the park called the "Leaning Cedar." Although it grows somewhat crooked, it has deep roots and lush foliage, thriving vibrantly. This cedar was first planted in the 1950s in the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda nursery, which was the first nursery established after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Chunxiao Garden was built on the basis of this nursery. Following the principle of "adapting to local conditions, preserving the old and removing the new," this cedar was preserved. The nursery was densely planted, and due to the cedar's phototropism, its lean became increasingly severe. As a result, the caretakers had to reinforce it with supports three times. This resilient cedar, which has grown for more than half a century, has become a scenic spot in the park, quietly awaiting visitors from all directions.

Post by Harper987 Ward | Oct 21, 2025