The Wild Goose Pagoda is situated at the Benevolence Temple to the south of Xian City. The temple was originally known as Wulou Temple (literally no leaking ) in the Sui dynasty. In Tang Dynasty, 652 AD, Crown Prince Li Zhi rebuilt it as a memorial to his mother. Xuanzang, a famous monk, scholar of Buddhism and great traveler and the Founder of Benevolence and Philanthropy of Buddhism, made a pilgrimage to India in 629 and returned in 645 with many Buddhist scriptures which were stored and translated into Chinese in the pagoda.

The square, multistoreyed, brick structure is sixty-four meters high. On a high mound, it seems to rise into the sky. The pagoda tapers sharply from the first storey up, futures the entire structure the shape of a pyramid and making it stand very firm. Wooden steps and flooring inside allow people to go to the top and enjoy the splendid views in the suburbs of Xi'an. In the past, those who had passed the imperial examinations to become officials went there to inscribe their names on the pagoda, the ambition of every young official. As a result, gathered in front of the pagoda were tablets inscribed by those who had passed the imperial examinations in Shaanxi for more than a thousand years, from the Tang to the Qing Dynasty.

The outer walls of the present pagoda were covered by a thick layer of bricks in the Ming Dynasty. A tablet on the lintel of the door on the first storey is vividly carved with designs of a wooden hall in the Tang Dynasty. Kept under the pagoda is a stone tablet with an inscription made by Chu Suiliang, a calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, which is an important relic.

The North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda lies to the north of Da Ci'en Temple. It is the biggest fountain square in Asia and features the longest light-belt in the world. Beautiful gardens and the paths leading to them combine to add more grace to the temple. In the night, with the whole place illuminated, it looks more stunning and gorgeous.