Today I took a bus to Dazu, 125 kilometers away from Chongqing, to see the rock carvings, which are also a UNESCO Heritage Site. In Dazu county there are over 40 separate sites with thousands of rock carvings, but I went to Bao Ding Shan, the site with probably the best examples of the carvings. People estimate that these carvings took 70 years to complete and were done from 1174 to 1252. It was a bit tough to get to Dazu, I took a bus for around two hours to Dazu county but got off at the wrong stop, so I hopped on a minibus that took me to the right bus station, and then from there took a cab up to the mountain and finally a rickshaw to the entrance. The most famous carving at this hill is a 31-meter long and 5-meter tall reclining Buddha who is depicted entering nirvana. However, there are also amazing carvings which still have their original color that depict hell, heaven, and some of the other gods from Buddhism. It was a pretty amazing site and definitely worth the trip.
Some of the first carvings when you enter the complex
Carvings inside a cave
Nine guardians of Buddhist law. The guardians are supposed to guard the ritual site and subdue monsters.
Buddhist wheel of life (dharma)
Another carving (the other tourists show how impressive these carvings actually are)
Nine dragons bathing the prince (the water was still flowing today)
Reclining Buddha (Sakyamuni) entering nirvana. 37 statues are a part of this carving.
Another view of the reclining Buddha
Some more carvings
My favorite section of carvings (I think this is from the part depicting heaven)
More from the same section (you can see the divider between heaven and hell with the darker figures who are beating people)
Some of the most vivid color on the carvings
A close-up of one of the scens from the "nether world" or hell. There are 18 stories of hell in the carvings, including the "knife mountain" and "knee-chopping" hell. The depiction of hell in these carvings is supposedly the biggest in size and has the most content of any similar scene in Buddhist art.
Some of the first carvings when you enter the complex
Carvings inside a cave
Nine guardians of Buddhist law. The guardians are supposed to guard the ritual site and subdue monsters.
Buddhist wheel of life (dharma)
Another carving (the other tourists show how impressive these carvings actually are)
Nine dragons bathing the prince (the water was still flowing today)
Reclining Buddha (Sakyamuni) entering nirvana. 37 statues are a part of this carving.
Another view of the reclining Buddha
Some more carvings
My favorite section of carvings (I think this is from the part depicting heaven)
More from the same section (you can see the divider between heaven and hell with the darker figures who are beating people)
Some of the most vivid color on the carvings
A close-up of one of the scens from the "nether world" or hell. There are 18 stories of hell in the carvings, including the "knife mountain" and "knee-chopping" hell. The depiction of hell in these carvings is supposedly the biggest in size and has the most content of any similar scene in Buddhist art.
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