Dazu Rock Carvings

Look at these magnificent carvings! They are huge, delicate and so vivid as if they will come to life the next second.

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. Some of these carvings are religious while some are secular. All of them are remarkable for their grand scale, aesthetic quality and rich diversity. 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. If you come to Chongqing someday, please spare some time to visit this place. You would probably find yourself standing in awed silence in front of these huge statues.