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The Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi'an, China
![]() ![]() Pagodas ...... Chinese Buddhism |
Buildings ![]() Entrance ![]() Entrance. Detail below: ![]() Entrance - detail. Flying eaves ... Flanking roof dragons (chiwen) ... Waves for protecting the building from fire ... Functional and decorative tile-ends Additional detail below: ![]() Entrance - detail. Flying eaves ... Flanking roof dragons (chiwen) ... Waves for protecting the building from fire ... Functional and decorative tile-ends ![]() Pagoda steps ![]() ![]() Ends destroyed by earthquake ![]() |
History![]() ![]() No. 1 Great Stupa of Sanchi [India] built in the 3rd Century BC at the order of King Asoka. First drawing below is of this stupa. A stupa
is a mound-like or semi-hemispherical structure containing Buddhist
relics, typically the ashes of Buddhist monks, used by Buddhists as a
place of meditation. Stupas originated as pre-Buddhist earthen burial
mounds, in which ascetics were buried in a seated position, called chaitya.
![]() The Small Wild Goose Pagoda - a transformation from the Indian stupa (above) to the Chinese pagoda with densely arranged eaves (below). ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Note end of eaves damaged by earlier earthquake ![]() ![]() |
Photos and their arrangement © 2013 Chuck LaChiusa