Near the rural town of Dazu, located approximately 160 km west of Chongqing, are some of the most significant and beautiful Buddhist rock carvings, alongside Dunhuang, Luoyang, and Yungang, spread across about 70 sites. Due to religious persecution, Buddhists migrated from the Silk Road to the then-autonomous Kingdom of Shu, where they carved images into nearly 40 mountains and cliff overhangs from the late 9th century to the mid-13th century. These carvings depict a fusion of Buddhist and Confucian motifs.
The sculptures are particularly well preserved on the North Mountain (Bei Shan), Treasure Mountain (Baoding Shan), and South Mountain (Nan Shan).
The North Mountain (Bei Shan), located about 2 km from Dazu, is best accessed on foot. Bei Shan is adorned with thousands of religious figures and calligraphies, which can be admired in 264 niches. The earliest sculptures, totaling 290 in number, date back to 892 AD. They include graceful depictions of the Bodhisattva Guanyin from the Song Dynasty. Particularly magnificent is the "Grotto of the Wheel of Life," created between 1142 and 1146, featuring finely executed statues of Buddhas and the "Guanyin with Sun and Moon."
Baoding Shan, situated approximately 15 km northeast of Dazu, is best reached by minibus. True to its name, Treasure Mountain guards one of the largest Buddhist panopticons with 10,000 partly life-size sculptures. These sculptures are the most magnificent in the region, created as a cohesive group between 1179 and 1249 under the direction of monk Zhao Zhifeng. At the heart of Baoding Shan is a reclining Buddha measuring 31 meters in length, alongside a gilded Guanyin with 1000 hands covering an area of 88 square meters. In addition to various depictions of paradises and hells, scenes of shepherds and farmers are also portrayed, such as "The Nursing Mother," "The Flute Player," and "The Buffalo Herder." These sculptural works are among China's most significant.
At South Mountain (Nan Shan), one can find a Daoist sculpture group featuring a stone dragon over 1000 years old.
In 1999, UNESCO inscribed the rock carvings of Dazu on the World Heritage List.
