The Dazu Rock Carvings are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back from the 7th to 9th century, depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs. The sites are located on the steep hillsides within Dazu County, near the city of Chongqing, with the most famous being the carvings found on Mount Baoding and Mount Beishan.
Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are made up of 75 protected sites containing some 50,000 statues and over 100,000 inscriptions with Chinese characters. The earliest carvings were begun in 650 AD in the early Tang Dynasty, but the main period of the creation began in the late 9th century. In the 12th century during the Song Dynasty, a Buddhist monk began work on the elaborate sculptures and carvings on Mount Baoding, dedicating 70 years of his life to the project.
The carvings were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999 for their beauty, rich diversity of subjects and the reflection on everyday life in China. They provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are made up of 75 protected sites containing some 50,000 statues and over 100,000 inscriptions with Chinese characters. The earliest carvings were begun in 650 AD in the early Tang Dynasty, but the main period of the creation began in the late 9th century. In the 12th century during the Song Dynasty, a Buddhist monk began work on the elaborate sculptures and carvings on Mount Baoding, dedicating 70 years of his life to the project.
The carvings were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999 for their beauty, rich diversity of subjects and the reflection on everyday life in China. They provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.