Chongqing Dazu Rock Carving - the Eternal Art in China

Maybe you have visited the Longmen Grottoes and the Yungang Grottoes, but have you enjoyed the tour to Chongqing and see the Dazu Rock Carving Buddha? Famous for the North Dunhuang and South Dazu, the Dazu Rock Carving sits at the Dazu County of Chongqing. After the reform and open in China, the surround of Dazu carvings was built with roads, so the invasion from abroad and the inner the Great Cultural Revolution had no chance to destroy it. During 800 years, the carvings were protected very well, the various statues in different sizes also are best preserved. I come here to wash my heart and pray for peace for our family.

Dazu Rock Carving is not only a spot, but also the general title of the grottoes bas-reliefs on precipices in Dazu County, these grottoes are distributed in east, west, south and north in this county, and the Baodingshan, Beishan, Nanshan, Shimenshan and Shizhuanshan grottoes are the symbols of the Dazu Rock Carvings with a certain size, most valuable and elegant carvings. Dazu carving was created in the late of Tang Dynasty, but thrived in Song Dynasty, focuses on the Buddhist statue, also Confucianist statue and Taoist statue coexist, is the outstanding work of grotto arts in later period. It is hard to imagine the craftsmen and ancestors have such skillful technology and attainments. The characteristic of Dazu carving is it is extremely close to life, every Buddha figure has the sign of common people, and dimly reveals the gradual trend of Chinese religions.

Baodingshan Carvings

The most famous statue in Baodingshan Mountain is the Thousand-Hand Kwan-yin Statue, it is the real Kwan-yin with thousand-hand. These hands seem like the peacock spreads its tail skillfully distributed in the cliffstone which covers an area of 88 square meters, and all hands are different, with no one identical. Come to Baodingshan Mountain, never miss the pinnacle of Dazu Rock Carving in Song Dynasty - Yuanjue Cave. In the entrance of the cave, there is a doughty stone lion, and various statues in cave were carved subtly, their clothes seem like the silk and the bases seem like the woodcarvings. The high Huayan Three Statues stand close to the cliff, the skillfully mechanical structure let the stone tower standing on the hand of Manjusri still stands there after thousand years.

The lunar February 19, June 19 and September 19 in every year, they are the time for grand Baoding Pilgrim Association, and the devotees to the Buddha from different places of China come to here to worship Buddha. But if you like the quiet environment, you have chance to avoid the crowds. Dazu County also aperiodically holds the Dazu Rock Carvings Festival, if you are lucky as me you would enjoy the large performance of dancing and singing besides the grand carvings during the tour here.