Dazu Rock Carvings

The rock carvings are located in the county of Dazu, Chongqing. Construction began in 650 and continued up until the 17th century. The Dazu Rock Carvings are an excellent example of Chinese grotto art in the middle and late period of ancient China.

So far, 50,000 statues have been identified, with 100,000 Chinese characters inscriptions. 75 cliff statue sites are under state protection.

Apart from their aesthetic quality, the Dazu Rock Carvings provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. They were added to the World Heritage List in 1999.