[PHOTO/CHINA BOUND]

Located within the courtyard of Ci'en Temple in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda — also known as the Ci'en Pagoda — was built in 652 under the guidance of the monk Xuanzang to house Buddhist statues and scriptures he brought back from India. This seven-tiered brick pagoda combines structural strength with refined elegance. Over the centuries, it has witnessed the city's transformations, its weathered bricks quietly preserving stories of time, memory and cultural exchange.