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1、 大雁塔英文介绍 As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Cien Temple complex, it attract
2、s numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction.This attraction can be divided into three parts: the Big W
3、ild Goose Pagoda, the Da Cien Temple, and the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.Big Wild Goose PagodaOriginally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it functioned to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang.Xuanzang
4、 started off from Changan (the ancient Xian), along the Silk Road and through deserts, finally arriving in India, the cradle of Buddhism. Enduring 17 years and traversing 100 countries, he obtained Buddha figures, 657 kinds of sutras, and several Buddha relics. Having gotten the permission of Empero
5、r Gaozong (628-683), Xuanzang, as the first abbot of Da Cien Temple, supervised the building of a pagoda inside it. With the support of royalty, he asked 50 hierarchs into the temple to translate Sanskrit in sutras into Chinese, totaling 1,335 volumes, which heralded a new era in the history of tran
6、slation. Based on the journey to India, he also wrote a book entitled Pilgrimage to the West in the Tang Dynasty, to which scholars attached great importance.First built to a height of 60 meters (197 feet) with five stories, it is now 64.5 meters (211.6 feet) high with an additional two stories. It
7、was said that after that addition came the saying-Saving a life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda. Externally it looks like a square cone, simple but grand and it is a masterpiece of Buddhist construction. Built of brick, its structure is very firm. Inside the pagoda, stairs twist up so that v
8、isitors can climb and overlook the panorama of Xian City from the arch-shaped doors on four sides of each storey. On the walls are engraved fine statues of Buddha by the renowned artist Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty. Steles by noted calligraphers also grace the pagoda.As for the reason why it is cal
9、led Big Wild Goose Pagoda, there is a legend. According to ancient stories of Buddhists, there were two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo. One day, they couldnt find meat to buy. Upon seeing a group of big wild geese flying by, a monk said to himself: Today we have no meat. I ho
10、pe the merciful Bodhisattva will give us some. At that very moment, the leading wild goose broke its wings and fell to the ground. All the monks were startled and believed that Bodhisattva showed his spirit to order them to be more pious. They established a pagoda where the wild goose fell and stopp
11、ed eating meat. Hence it got the name Big Wild Goose Pagoda.Da Cien TempleDa Cien Temple is the home of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In 648, to commemorate the dead virtuous queen, royalty ordered the building of a temple named Cien (Mercy and Kindness), for which the status and scale far exceeded all oth
12、ers. Today, with an area of 32,314 square meters (38,648.5 square yards), one seventh of the original area, it still retains its grandeur.Before the temple, there stands a statue of hierarch Xuanzang, the meritorious hierarch. Walking on and across a small bridge, visitors will see the gates of the
13、temple. With guarding lions, the temple seems stately for lions were said to function as talismans.Entering the temple you will see two buildings-Bell Tower in the east and Drum Tower in the west. Inside the Bell Tower hangs an iron bell 15 tons (14.76 gross tons) in weight. It was molded in 1548 in
14、 the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Along the central axis are arranged the Hall of Mahavira, Sermon Hall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Hall of Xuanzang Sanzang. In the Hall of Mahavira are three carved statues of Sakyamuni, and 18 arhats as well as Xuanzang. The Sermon Hall is where Buddhist disciples
15、 would listen to a sermon. A bronze statue of Amitabha is dedicated and a Buddha statue is collected by Xuanzang as oblation. The Hall of Xuanzang Sanzang is north of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In this hall are Xuanzangs relic and a bronze statue of a seated Xuanzang. The inner wall is chiseled with mur
16、als depicting this hierarchs story. Renowned as the contemporary Dunhuang Buddhist storehouse praised by UNESCO, it is the biggest memorial of Xuanzang.North Square of Big Wild Goose PagodaSurrounding Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the scenery is also quite charming, especially the square north of the Da Cien Temple. Covering about 110,000 square meters ( square yards) plus 20,000 square meters (23920.6 square yards) of water area, it holds many records: in
