Xi'an was Chang'an, the capital of the Tang dynasty and the eastern end of the Silk Road, and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the survivors from that golden age. It was built between about 707 and 709 to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the monk Yijing, who travelled by sea and returned with hundreds of texts. It stands in the grounds of the Jianfu Temple, in a quiet garden just south of the city walls, a slim, tapering tower of brick with fifteen tiers of narrow eaves.
Its history is dramatic. A great earthquake in 1556 split the tower from top to bottom, and the upper levels were lost, so that it now has thirteen storeys. Later quakes closed the crack again, and the tower is said to have healed itself, a legend that locals enjoy. Its larger sibling, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 for the monk Xuanzang, lies a couple of kilometres to the south. A huge iron bell nearby is rung at certain times, with a deep note that is said to be heard across the city.
Xi'an is among the great historical cities of China, with its intact Ming city wall, which is about fourteen kilometres around and can be walked or cycled, the Bell and Drum Towers, and the Muslim Quarter, with its crowded lanes of street food. Traffic is heavy in the city centre, with many scooters and buses, so it is more comfortable to see the sights on foot or by bicycle. Spring and autumn offer the best weather, while summer is hot and winter cold and dry.
Xi'an has plenty of fuel, workshops and hotels, and the area around the pagoda has cafes and shops. Try a bowl of yangrou paomo, a lamb soup with crumbled flatbread, in the Muslim Quarter, and wander the garden at the temple in the early morning when it is quiet. Check requirements for foreign motorcyclists in China before you plan to ride.