Dazu Rock Carvings — Attraction in Chongqing

The steep hillsides in the Dazu area near Chongqing, contain an exceptional series of five clusters of rock carvings dating from the 9th to 13th centuries. The largest cluster at Beishan contains two groups along a cliff face 7-10m high stretching for around 300m. There are more than 10,000 carvings dating from the late 9th to the mid-12th century which depict themes of Tantric Buddhism and Taoism. Inscriptions give insight to the history, religious beliefs, dating and the identification of historical figures. The late 11thcentury Song dynasty carvings at Shizhuanshan extend over 130m and depict Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian images in a rare tripartite arrangement. The Song dynasty carvings at Shimenshan dating from the first half of the 12th century extend along 72m and integrate Buddhist and Taoist subjects. At Nanshan the Song dynasty carvings of the 12th century extend over a length of 86m and depict mostly Taoist subjects. The culmination in terms of expression of Tantric Buddhism is found in the U shaped gorge at Baodingshan which contains two groups of carvings dating from the late 12th to the mid-13th century near the Holy Longevity Monastery. The very large group to the west stretches for about 500 metres and comprises 31 groups of carved figures depicting themes from Tantric Buddhism as well scenes of herdsmen and ordinary life.

The carvings are known for their grand scale, aesthetic quality and rich diversity of subject matter as well as for being well preserved. Standing as an example of the highest level of Chinese cave temple art dating from the 9th to 13th centuries, the Dazu Rock Carvings not only underline the harmonious coexistence in China of three different religions, namely Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, but also provide material proof that cave temple art has increasingly shed light on everyday life. Large numbers of carvings and written historical materials within the heritage site show the great changes in and development of cave temple art and religious beliefs in China during...

This is the second stone carving area in Dazu area, accounting for about 80% of the stone carvings. The first area called Baoshan is about 15km from this second area, so you should buy a package ticket there for a cheaper price. Baodingshan area is very large, with little shade, so it is very hot, so you should buy a bus ticket. It takes about 2-3 hours here on average. It is very overwhelming to see the stone carving system here, built over many generations. The stone statues are carved very skillfully, using a lot of knowledge of physics and optics, so the statues are very vivid. Each statue conveys a story or a message, even a secret, a guide to the treasure behind. Before coming here, you should read in advance to learn the meaning of the statues, it will make your visit much better. Although this land has suffered many earthquakes, the statue system has never been affected. The three largest Buddha statues here are carved standing sideways, but the craftsmen skillfully created support columns through the flaps of the robe so the statues still stand firmly. You will be very excited to find iPhones and iPads in the hands of the Buddha nearly 1000 years ago. This is a must-see place when coming...

Going to see the Dazu Rock Carvings was one of my favourite experiences during my time in China. They were absolutely breathtaking statues and structures, all built into the sides of rocks. I cannot recommend enough. Tickets were 115 RMB which included transport around to the main site, I recommend this ticket option because it would take a long time to walk there from the ticketing area.

In order to get to Dazu I took the train from Chongqing, and then ordered a Didi from the station. The security guard outside the site arranged a coach to pick us up which took us directly to Honyadong in CQ, which was incredibly convenient and helpful! So I would recommend asking the security or other staff to see if you can get the same results.

The museum is worth a visit too, which had lots of information on other rock carvings around the world.

There were plenty of places to eat near the main area, although we did get food poisoning in one of the restaurants so be careful where you eat and maybe stick to busier places. The restaurant was very quiet and far from the main...