Dazu Rock Carvings
大足石刻
Cliff-carved sculptures from the late Tang to the Southern Song, with the golden Thousand-Hand Guanyin at Baoding Mountain marking the final peak of China's grotto art. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Dazu Rock Carvings are located in Dazu District, Chongqing. The term covers cliff sculptures carved from the late Tang to the Southern Song (9th–13th centuries). More than 50,000 statues survive. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, the site represents the last great peak of Chinese grotto art, as it moved from the north to the south and from Buddhism toward a blend of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. The core is the Baoding Mountain carvings, overseen by the Southern Song monk Zhao Zhifeng over 70 years. Along the U-shaped cliff of Big Buddha Bay, a sequence of carvings includes the Thousand-Hand Guanyin (1,007 hands, gleaming with gold after a 2015 restoration), the Scenes of Shakyamuni's Nirvana (a 31-meter reclining Buddha), the Wheel of Six Realms, the Parents' Kindness Sutra scenes, and depictions of hell. Each niche tells a story, so a guided tour is recommended (guide devices rent for 30 yuan, or you can hire a live guide). Beishan Carvings, dating from the late Tang to the Southern Song and famous for its Guanyin images (home to the China Guanyin Sculpture Gallery), sit on Longgang Mountain in Dazu town. They are quieter and more peaceful. Tickets: Baoding Mountain costs 115 yuan in peak season (March–November), Beishan 70 yuan, and a combined ticket 140 yuan. Prices drop slightly in the off-season. Buy tickets on the official website or the 'Dazu Rock Carvings' WeChat account. Allow about 2.5 hours for Baoding Mountain and 1.5 hours for Beishan. Getting there: take a high-speed train from Chongqing West or Shapingba Station to Dazu South Station (about 40 minutes), then catch the scenic shuttle or Bus 205 to Baoding Mountain (about 40 minutes). Day tours from central Chongqing are also available. Suggested plan for one day: Baoding Mountain in the morning, Beishan in the afternoon, and return to Chongqing in the evening. The Dazu Rock Carvings Museum inside the scenic area is free with the Baoding Mountain ticket. Visit it first, then enter the carving grounds.
Opening hours
08:30–18:00 (last tickets sold at 17:00)
Nearby sights
- Chashan Zhuhai (Tea Hills & Bamboo Sea), Yongchuan
- Anju Ancient Town, Tongliang
- Lehe Ledu Theme Park, Yongchuan
- Zouma Ancient Town
- Diaoyu Fortress
- Mount Jinyun
- Chongqing Natural History Museum
- North Hot Spring, Beibei