Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔), located in Northern Xi'an and built in the Tang Dynasty to hold sutras and figurines of the buddhas.BIG WILD GOOSE PAGODA
Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a holy place for Buddhists to pay pilgrimages, is a well-preserved ancient building. Located at the Southern suburb, Xi'an, which is about 4 kilometres from the downtown of the city, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion. It stands at the Da Ci'en Temple complex and is also a National Key Culture Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a holy place for Buddhists to pay pilgrimages, is a well-preserved ancient building. Located at the Southern suburb, Xi'an, which is about 4 kilometres from the downtown of the city, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion. It stands at the Da Ci'en Temple complex and is also a National Key Culture Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction.
Da Ci'en Temple (大慈恩寺), close to Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Commanded by the royalty to build 'Mercy and Kindness (Ci'en)' in 648AD to commemorate the dead virtuous queen - Empress Wende.Though built during the Tang Dynasty by Emperor Gaozong (618 - 907), specifically in 652, it was soon elevated to much higher heights by Empress Wu Zetian, also of the Tang. With later wars that damaged the building, it was reduced to a mere 7-level.
In the past years during the Tang Dynasty period, the pagoda was surrounded by a monastery with stern walls - now, at 64 m, it boasts a fabulous view of modern Xi'an. This building was built to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the Buddhist monk, Xuanzang - whose statue can be seen near the Pagoda.
Xuanzang (玄奘) started off from Chang’an or also known as the modern Xi'an, along the Silk Road. You might wonder why he had a Pagoda to his name - but he had endured 17 years of travelling through numerous countries; trekking through deserts and risking his life.
Finally arrived at India, the origins of Buddhism, he obtained various kinds of sutras and Buddha relics (657 to be specific) and even requested 50 hierarches to translate Sanskrit into sutras of Chinese - and urged in a new era of history translation.
It was known that after the addition of levels came the saying - 'Saving a life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda'.
The renowned artist Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty engraved the walls with fine statues of Buddha - even calligraphy is pronounced in the Pagoda.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda - it sounds weird in my mouth, too. Actually, there is a legend leading to its name. As told by ancient stories of Buddhists, there were two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo. One day, they couldn't 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 hope 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 stopped eating meat. Therefore it got the name 'Big Wild Goose Pagoda'.
OVERHANGING GREAT WALL
Eleven kilometers to the downtown Jiayuguan City, the Overhanging Great Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Work began on it in 1539, and took thousands of labourers to complete in the following year. Built only using layer upon layer of stone and yellow earth, the wall has dwindled from its original length of 1.5 kilometers to its current 750 meters.
Eleven kilometers to the downtown Jiayuguan City, the Overhanging Great Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Work began on it in 1539, and took thousands of labourers to complete in the following year. Built only using layer upon layer of stone and yellow earth, the wall has dwindled from its original length of 1.5 kilometers to its current 750 meters.
An extended part of the Jiayuguan Pass, the Overhanging Great Wall was once an important component in the past military defense system. Winding through the Gobi Desert to the steep Black Mountain (Hei Shan), the wall appears to hang over the cliff and block the vital pass of Shiguan Xiakou, which is how it got its name. It is similar in appearance to the grand Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, and is thus also known as the Western Badaling.
The Black Mountains of Mongolia - where the Gobi ends. The Overhanging Great Wall was reconstructed in 1987, with sidesteps added to allow visitors to climb the Wall - thus attracting neverending tourists.
Gobi Desert (戈壁沙漠) of China and Southern Mongolia, source of many important fossil finds - dinosaur eggs.
The famous Great Wall of China (万里长城), its stone and earthen fortifications protected the northern borders of the empire, leading to the rule of successful dynasties. 
Overhanging Wall of China in the Gansu Province near Jiayuguan - wintry scene.IDKHAR MOSQUE
'Id Kah' means 'a place of praying and celebrating in festivals' and was built with a strong ethnic style and religious features. No one would realise this, considering the thousands of people who come to pray - however, it is said that the very place was once a cemetery. First constructed in 1442, it went through a series of construction before the present Id Kar Mosque stands in the Central Square of Kashgar City.
'Id Kah' means 'a place of praying and celebrating in festivals' and was built with a strong ethnic style and religious features. No one would realise this, considering the thousands of people who come to pray - however, it is said that the very place was once a cemetery. First constructed in 1442, it went through a series of construction before the present Id Kar Mosque stands in the Central Square of Kashgar City.
Consisting of the courtyard, the Hall of Prayer, and the gate tower and as well as some other attached structures, it is the biggest mosque in China. The huge courtyard houses some of the tallest and densest poplar trees - comfort is as though you were in an air-conditioned room, with the temperature not too low and not too high.
Even with Muslims blustering about, saying their prayers, there is still a quiet tranquility that surrounds the Mosque.
The Mosque is intricately designed, with green flower patterns adorning its walls - and several more designs too beautiful to be expressed with words.
It's no wonder why thousands of worshippers come here to pray. Every Friday afternoon, Muslims living far and near gather here to worship. During religious festivals all the Muslims in region would come to this sacred place to celebrate. At prayer time, the mosque, the square, the streets and the roads all around are full of piously kneeling Muslims.
Afterwards, all the people get together on the square in front of the Id Kah Mosque and dance to show their happiness, with not the slightest sign of exhaustion.
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