Dazu Rock Carvings

The Dazu Rock Carvings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of 75 protected locations across Dazu District, roughly two hours outside central Chongqing. Dating back as far as the 7th century, the carvings include tens of thousands of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist sculptures and reliefs, some cut into cave shrines and others carved directly into open rock faces, alongside more than 100,000 inscribed Chinese characters.

Most visitors focus on two of the main sites: Baodingshan, which holds the largest and most elaborate concentration of carvings, and Beishan, with a denser cluster of smaller niches. Together they represent one of the most significant collections of religious rock art anywhere in China, and are noticeably less crowded than comparable sites like the Longmen or Mogao grottoes.

Because of the distance from the city, this is best treated as a full day trip rather than a quick add-on — most people combine a guided tour with transport, given the site’s location outside the main urban rail network.