The beautifully executed Dazu Rock Carvings which have been skilfully sculpted into local cliffsides have acquired renown around the world. These fascinating carvings are accessible from the Chinese city of Chongqing, where visitors may find attractive Chongqing apartment accommodation such as the Somerset JieFangBei Chongqing. This appealing rest offers quality accommodations and a selection of convenient amenities.
The attractive rock carvings are to be found in a number of localities in Dazu County, namely the locations known as Baodingshan, Beishan, Shimenshan, Nanshan and Shizhuanshan. All of these sites feature exquisite carvings that demonstrate great skill and artistic talent. Visitors will be surprised by the capabilities of these ancient artisans.
The rock carvings date from three Chinese imperial dynasties, having initially been commenced in the time of the Tang Dynasty and continued in the reign of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Amongst the carvings you will see over 5,000 individual statues as well as in excess of 100,000 Chinese calligraphic characters in the form of epigraphs and inscriptions. The Buddhist figures are most prominent in the carvings, with Confucian and Taoist statues also frequently seen.
The rock carvings of Baodingshan consist of no less than 13 clusters of stone carvings, totalling almost 10,000 stone figures. A special aspect of these particular collections of carvings is that the intriguing carved figures seem to tell a story.
The Beishan rock carvings demonstrate masterly craftsmanship and are exceptionally well preserved. Meanwhile the Shizhuanshan site displays a combination of integrated Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist statues, an unusual blend when considering Chinese cave art as a whole. On the other hand the rock carvings of Nanshan focus on the Taoist faith, featuring innumerable representations of the Taoist deities. Not to be missed is the site known as Shimenshan, which boasts an array of stone figures, some of which are remarkably vivid and lifelike. With so much to see and admire, visitors are sure to be enthralled by the splendid rock carvings of Dazu.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.