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Wild Goose Pagodas
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Names
Originally, the big pagoda was known simply as the Wild Goose Pagoda. When the small pagoda was built about a half century later, it, too, was given the name Wild Goose Pagoda. To verbally distinguish the two, the locals prefixed the words "big" and "small".
History in brief
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
It was built to store and translate Sanskrit Buddhist Scriptures that a monk brought from India. It was initially built in 652 with only five floors. Several decades later, two more floors were added. Today, it is 64 meters (211 feet) high.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
It was built in 709. It was originally 15 floors high. A 16th century earthquake shook down the top two floors. Today, it is 43 meters (142 feet) high.
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