Dazu Stone Carvings

Dazu, a small mountainous town west of Chongqing, is famous for its stone carvings, with more than 100,000 pieces left over from the Tang (628-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The well-preserved carvings are representative of an ancient Chinese art tradition. They also take a very important position in the religious, artistic and cultural history of China. Stone carvings are found in more than 70 places scattered throughout the county of Dazu. The largest, richest and most exquisite collection of statues is at the foot of Baoding Hill and North Hill. The stone carvings along the Baoding Hill were hewn out from 1174 to 1249. The row is 500 meters long and consists of nearly 10,000 statues, of which the most distinctive and majestic are the "Thousand-arm Goddess of Mercy" and the 31-meter long sleeping Buddha. These stone carvings are unparalleled works of art in the world and were included by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1999.