Dazu Rock Carvings
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Dazu County, located in the southeast of Sichuan province, is 271 kilometres away from Chengdu and 163 kilometres away from Chongqing. "Dazu" here means "harvest and abundance (Dafeng, Dazu)".The work of Dazu Rock Carvings began in the first year of Yonghui in the Tang Dynasty (650A.D.), and continued until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now, it enjoys equal popularity with theYungang and Longmen Grottoes. The general term of "Dazu Rock Carvings" refers to all the cliffside carvings in Dazu County, which includes the carvings in Beishan (including Beita), Baodingshan, Nanshan, Shizhuanshan and Shimenshan. Baoding Grotto, 15 kilometres northeast of the county seat, is the largest and best preserved one and is a key cultural relic site under state protection.There are more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions dotted around Dazu. The carvings not only include the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva but also include that of monarchs, ministers, military officers, high and low-ranking officials, jailers, executioners, monks, rich and poor people, and folk art performers. The earliest grotto was carved in the early Tang Dynasty and most of them have a history over 1000 years.The best preserved of all carvings in China, dating from the 9th to the 13th century, Dazu Rock Carvings and statues are scattered over some 70 sites in Dazu County,they are the representation of the later and mature grotto art in China, renowned for their large scale, refined carving and varied motifs. Altogether there are over 50,000 statues and inscriptions of more than 100,000 Chinese characters, they provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.In Dazu County, some 165 kilometers away fromChongqing, are more than 40 sites of stone carvings with over 50,000 statues of Buddha completed from the late Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty.The grottoeson the Beishan Hill and Baoding Hill are the largest in scale, richest in content and most refined in artistic skill.Construction began on the Beishan Hill in the late Tang Dynasty and lasted for more than 250 years, with some 300 niches containing some 10,000 statues of Buddha being carved. The cave bearing the openwork octagonal "soul chariot" which symbolizes the eternal turning of the wheel of Buddhist law is the most fantastic piece of work. Right in the center of the cave is the statue of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, which is flanked by more than 20 statues including the Buddha of wisdom and universal benevolence.Samantabhadra, or Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence, was meticulously designed and executed with refined lines to give her a womanly image with graceful features, soft skin, gentle and tranquil expression and elegant posture. Her typical image of an Eastern beauty has won her the description as the "Venus of the East".The carvings on Baoding Hill, dating back over 800 years, are magnificent. In the vicinity of the Baoding Hill are over 10,000 Buddha statues, mostly found near Dafowan, which is a horseshoe shaped gully about 500 meters long. Here, on the cliffs between 15 and 30 meters high, rows upon rows of large-size carvings can be found either on the cliff face or inside the caves. How to get there:From the Caiyuanba Bus Terminal near the Chongqing railway station, there are two buses each hour which run to Dazu county town. The trip takes 2 hours. From the bus station of the Dazu county, mini buses takes you to Baoding Mountain which is 15KM away from the county center.
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