The Dazu Rock Carvings (Chinese: 大足石刻; pinyin: Dàzú Shíkè) are a collection of religious sculptures and carvings in China. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Dazu District, Chongqing, China. These carvings date back to as early as the 7th century AD and show the influence of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist beliefs. Some carvings are found in cave shrines carved into rock, a style common in Chinese Buddhist art, while others are large carvings made directly into the rock faces. The Dazu Rock Carvings were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999. They include 75 protected locations with about 50,000 statues and more than 100,000 Chinese characters in inscriptions. These sites are in Chongqing Municipality, on the steep hillsides of Dazu District, which is about 165 kilometers west of Chongqing’s city area. Important parts of the carvings are found on Mount Baoding and Mount Beishan.
Description
The Dazu Rock Carvings include five locations in Dazu District, Chongqing Municipality: Beishan, Baodingshan, Nanshan, Shizhuanshan, and Shimenshan.
- Beishan (North Mountain) has two groups of carvings and sculptures along a cliff that is 300 meters long. These were made between the 9th and 12th centuries and show scenes from Tantric Buddhism and Taoism.
- Baodingshan (Baoding Mountain) has carvings in a U-shaped valley near the Longevity Pavilion. These were made between the 12th and 13th centuries and cover a distance of 500 meters. The carvings include images from Tantric Buddhism and scenes of everyday life.
- At Nanshan (South Mountain), the rock art was created during the Song Dynasty under Emperor Shao Xing. It shows Taoist symbols and themes. There is also a stone tablet that records the history of Sichuan after a Mongol invasion in the 13th century.
- Shizhuanshan (Shizhuan Mountain) carvings were made in the early 12th century. These carvings are special because they combine images from Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. The most famous sculptures in the caves are believed to have been created by Wen Wijian, a well-known sculptor of that time.
- Shimenshan (Shimen Mountain) has carvings from the 12th century. These include statues of the Jade Emperor and other gods.
History
The method for creating rock carvings may have started in ancient India. The first carvings were made in 650 AD during the early Tang dynasty, but the main time for their creation began in the late 9th century. At that time, Wei Junjing, who was the Prefect of Changzhou, started carving images on Mount Beishan. After the fall of the Tang dynasty, local people, members of the gentry, monks, nuns, and ordinary citizens continued the work during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960). In the 12th century, during the Song dynasty, a Buddhist monk named Zhao Zhifeng began creating detailed sculptures and carvings on Mount Baoding. He spent 70 years working on this project. Unlike most rock carvings, the Dazu rock carvings include statues that represent all three major religions in China: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
For many years, the carvings were not allowed for visitors. They were opened to Chinese travelers in 1961 and to foreign visitors in 1980. Until 1975, the only way to reach the main group of carvings from the town of Dazu was a muddy path.
The carvings were recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1999 because of their artistic quality, the wide variety of subjects shown, both religious and everyday life, and the information they provide about life in China during that time. They also show how well Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism were combined together.
Gallery
- Rock carvings at Baodingshan
- Statues of different Buddhas at Baodingshan
- A large circle showing the cycle of life and death at Baodingshan
- A statue of Guanyin with many arms at Baodingshan
- Statues of Buddhas at Baodingshan
- A view of the eighteen levels of hell at Baodingshan
- Figures of demons and hell officials at Baodingshan
- Statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin at Beishan
- Statue of the Wisdom King Mahamayuri riding a peacock at Beishan
- Statues of various Buddhas at Beishan
- Statue showing Sakyamuni Buddha entering Nirvana at Beishan
Transport
The Dazushike railway station on the Chengdu-Chongqing Central line high-speed railway is being built.