The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a holy Buddhist pagoda that was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty. It originally had five stories, however the structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming Dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang. Xuanzang made seventeen overland trips between China and India, bringing back relics and other important pieces of Buddhist history.