The Dazu Rock Carvings refer to a remarkable group of cave-temple carvings and rock sculptures in Dazu District, Chongqing. Bringing together Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian imagery, they form one of China’s most important cave-art complexes. Dating mainly from the late Tang dynasty through the Song dynasty, from the late 9th to the 13th century, the carvings are recognized by UNESCO for their exceptional aesthetic quality, rich diversity of subject matter, and vivid reflection of everyday life in China during that period. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 1999, the Dazu Rock Carvings remain Chongqing’s only World Cultural Heritage site and one of the city’s most internationally recognized cultural tourism brands.

The Dazu Rock Carvings comprise more than 70 protected sites, with over 50,000 statues and more than 100,000 Chinese characters of inscriptions. The five most representative clusters are Baodingshan, Beishan, Nanshan, Shimenshan, and Shizhuanshan. As a whole, the carvings began in the late Tang dynasty and Five Dynasties period, from the late 9th to the mid-10th century, reached their height during the Song dynasty (960–1279), and continued through the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Qing dynasty (1644–1911), and the period of the Republic of China (1912–1949). Together, they form a cultural legacy spanning more than 1,200 years.

A traditional saying places Baodingshan alongside Mount Emei as a major destination of Buddhist devotion: “Pilgrimage to Emei above, worship at Baoding below.” Located in Baoding Town, about 10 kilometers northeast of central Dazu, Baodingshan has helped make Dazu widely known as an important Buddhist site in China. The Baodingshan Rock Carvings were created under the direction of Zhao Zhifeng, a Southern Song Buddhist master, between 1174 and 1252. This single cluster was carved over more than 70 years and contains nearly 10,000 figures, making it one of the finest achievements of late-period Chinese cave art.

Baodingshan is notable for the coherence and vitality of its sculptural program. Its thousands of figures rarely repeat the same subject. The niches are linked not only by doctrine but also by visual composition, forming a sequence of teaching, practice, cause, and result. The carvings are also closely connected with everyday life. Scenes such as the Sutra on the Profound Kindness of Parents, the Oxherding Picture, the Flute-Playing Girl, and the Drunken Man are vivid, accessible, and rich in moral meaning. The artistry gives careful attention to both form and atmosphere. The Thousand-Armed Guanyin, with 1,007 arms extending in layered, rhythmic patterns, is one of the most celebrated works at the site.

Address: Baoding Town, Dazu District, Chongqing