Good morning! After breakfast, you will be met by your guide and driver at your hotel and then escorted to visit Dazu Rock Carvings at the northwest suburb of Chongqing with about 2 hours’ riding.
Earliest in 1999, Dazu Rock Carvings had been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site for its historical significance, rich themes, and delicate carvings, which reflecting the social daily life as well as the harmonious coexistence of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. During this side trip, we shall make a full exploration at the top 2 clusters: Baodingshan Rock Carvings and Beishan Rock Carvings.
Baodingshan Scenic Area is normally the first stop and the best highlight of Dazu Rock Carvings’ Exploration. Watching two digital films regarding the history, development, and masterpieces of Dazu Rock Carvings will give first-time visitors a clear view of what to see and expect in this scenic area. After the film, tourists can take the sightseeing buses to get to the top highlight of Baodingshan Scenic Area, Dafowan, where most representative works of Baodingshan rock carvings are situated. Leaving Dafowan, along the excursion trail, you will pass by Wansui Tower and Xiaofuwan to reach the Shengshou Temple. The buildings along the path are antique in style. Here, travelers are also recommended to glance back at the Big Buddha Bay, which definitely will bring a different view.
After visiting the Baoding Rock Carvings, your next stop is the Beishan Scenic Area.
Although not as large and visually striking as the Baodingshan Rock Carvings, rock carvings at Beishan Scenic Area were built earlier, yet they are of irreplaceable significance to the explorer who has a greater willingness to engage with the history of China’s grottoes. As locals often say, “The professionals know the ropes from Beishan Rock Carvings”. One of the critical ropes narrating the beginning of the construction of Dazu Rock Carvings was collected at the Buddhist Bay (Fowan). It is an inconspicuous stone tablet from the Tang Dynasty, “Weijunjing Stele”, which meticulously records all crucial moments in the development of Dazu Rock Carvings. Moreover, you can see representative statues of the earliest constructions in the style of the glorious age of the Tang Dynasty, including Niche No. 5, the Vaisravana Devaraja, as well as diverse and exquisite statues of Guanyin, such as Avalokitesvara with a Rosary in Niche No. 125, and the most extensive and artistically crafted Niche No. 136 - “Wheel of the Sutra Collection,” which significantly projects the folk belief attribute of Beishan Grottoes. Beishan Scenic Area is not large; Fowan is presented in a semi-circular shape, divided into two districts, and the overall visiting time is 1-1.5 hours. With enough time and physical strength, after appreciating the cliff statues, you can climb up to the opposite peak to worship the twin Buddhas under the Duobao Pagoda, which takes another 15-20 minutes of mountain road walk.
Finally, drive back to Chongqing city and be sent to your hotel in Chongqing downtown. Have a great rest! (You can decide whether to enjoy dinner at Hongya Cave or directly be escorted to your hotel.)