Dazu stone carvings are the general name of all religious cliff carvings in the Tang and Song dynasties in Dazu District, showing the artistic level of grottoes in the Tang and Song dynasties. There are 102 stone carvings in Dazu District, with a total of 100,000 statues, of which 75 are listed as cultural relics protection units at all levels. As early as 1999, the Dazu Rock Carvings became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the fame is not as good as the four major grottoes in China, the Dazu stone carvings also have their own unique charm.

The earliest work of Dazu stone carvings is the cliff statue of Jianshanzi, which was carved in 650 AD, but there are only 20 new statues in the next 200 years. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the cliff statue began to rise, and the first statue climax in the history of Dazu stone carvings reached in the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and reached its peak in the Two Song Dynasty periods. Dazu stone carvings set Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism "three religions" statue art, the early years of the stone carvings are basically all temple hall structure, such as the statue of the Big Buddha Bay, and the mountain cliff is connected into a piece, the later form of expression is more abundant. The main difference between the stone carvings of different dynasties is the change in the number and proportion of statues of specific religions. Baoding Mountain, North Mountain, South Mountain, Shimen Mountain, Shizhen Mountain 5 grotto statues are the most classic, among which Baoding Mountain stone carvings and North Mountain stone carvings are the most famous, because these two are the most largest, although after many years of elegance, many stone carving colors have long dissipated, but its well-preserved appearance still has a very high appreciation value.

Baoding Mountain Stone Carvings:

Baoding Mountain is located 15 kilometers northeast of Dazu City, with the top of the mountain as the center, and the Buddha statues are all over the mountain rock within 2.5 kilometers in diameter. The most famous stone carvings of Baoding Mountain are the two cliff statues of the Big Buddha Bay and the Little Buddha Bay centered on the Shengshou Temple, with a total of more than 360 giant carvings, among which the cliff statues represented by the Buddha Nirvana holy map, the six reincarnation maps, the three holy statues of Huayan, the vast treasure pavilion, the statue of Guanyin with a thousand hands, etc., are well known.

The image of the Buddha Nirvana has almost become a symbol of the Dazu stone carvings, and this world's largest bust of the reclining Buddha is impressive. The holy miracle map of Shakya Nirvana is also known as the "reclining Buddha", lying across the mouth of the mountain bay valley of the Big Buddha Bay. The Buddha statue is 31 meters long and is basically carved with a round knife, so the lines of the statue are thick and soft. Nirvana is a common subject in Buddhist art, and this statue depicts the final death of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, with soft lines that show his peaceful state at the time of Nirvana. In front of the "reclining Buddha" is the statue of Shakyamuni's disciples who only show their upper bodies, such as Shengwen, Bodhisattva, Emperor Shakti and Dharma Protector, although the facial expressions of these disciples are sad, but there is still a big difference with the sad face described in the Buddhist scriptures, as well as the scene of the great earthquake cracking and the collapse of Vajra. On the right side of the holy map of Shakyamunia is the "Nine Dragons Bathing Prince", which is the scene of Shakyamuni's birth, and the left side is engraved the story of Shakyamuni's trip to the four gates and the monk over the city when he was the prince. The combination of the three pictures tells a more complete picture of Shakya's life and deeds, and the Nirvana map is well highlighted.

The six reincarnation diagram is the No. 2 niche of Baoding Mountain, which was carved in the Southern Song Dynasty during the Chunxi to Chunyou period, also known as the six fun idealistic map, the six fun life and death wheel. In the middle of the carving is six wheels, which are divided into four layers: Karma, Heaven, Hell, and Three Virtues, and each layer has a vivid small statue to represent the meaning of each layer. Outside the wheel, the wheel king has unkempt fangs, his feet on his head, his mouth on the rim of the wheel, and his arms represent the wheel that carries all beings in the life and death of all beings in the Three Realms and Six Realms, implying that "karma" is irreversible and his fate is determined. The Six Paths of Reincarnation illustrate the basic teachings of Buddhism, such as karma and reincarnation, in a concrete and visual image.

The three sacred statues of Huayan are the fifth shrine of Baoding Mountain, carved with the Bodhisattva Fuxian and Manjushri, as well as the Buddha Virujana in the middle of the two Bodhisattvas. The three statues are 7 meters high, and they all bow their heads and look down on all beings. The corner of its Chinese Shu Bodhisattva robe covers the forearm and meets the knee to form a stable triangular structure. The three holy statues of Huayan can not fall for thousands of years also thanks to its integration of art and science, which is a masterpiece.

There are many stone carvings in Baoding Mountain, and tourists who are interested in the religious teachings can directly hire a tour guide, or pay attention to the WeChat public account of "Dazu Stone Carvings", which has a free audio introduction to the stone carvings.

Beishan stone carvings:

The Beishan stone carvings are located on the top of Beishan Mountain, which is 1.5 kilometers north of the main city of Dazu District. The stone carving group takes the Big Buddha Bay as the center, builds according to the rock, the cliff face of the statue is more than 500 meters long, about 7 to 10 meters high, from south to north like a crescent moon, and the niche cave is as dense as a beehive. There are more than 5,000 statues here, and there are 51 kinds of statue themes, among which the Buddhist Tantra, the Third Order Religion, and the Pure Land Buddhism, which were extremely popular at that time, accounted for the vast majority, and they were the products of the secularization of Buddhism.

The grotto statues in Nanshan, Shimen Mountain, Shizhen Mountain and other places are small in scale, so I will not repeat them here. If tourists are just playing, it is recommended to only watch the stone carvings of Baoding Mountain and Beishan.

Information Reference

Dazu Rock Carvings (Baoding) Scenic Area: 115 yuan/person

Dazu Rock Carvings (Beishan) Scenic Area: 70 yuan/person

Dazu Rock Carvings Scenic Area Joint Ticket Ticket: 140 yuan/person

Opening hours: 09:00-17:00