Dazu Rock Carvings - A Hidden Gem in Chongqing
The 5th and 7th centuries were the peaks of rock carvings originated from ancient India. When the 8th century came, Buddhism took a hit. Yet, the bas-reliefs on precipices of Dazu County, Chongqing, suddenly emerged. In the following five centuries, the Dazu Rock Carvings continued to grow into China's largest-scale grottoes. It became an outstanding example of Chinese grotto art in its later period. The Dazu Rock Carvings represented by Beishan, Baodingshan, Nanshan, Shizhuanshan, Shimenshan cliff sculptures are an essential part of Chinese grotto art and the most significant work of such kind during the 9th -13th century. They are in large scale, exquisitely carved, diversely themed, richly informative, and best-preserved. The sculptures here are not just about Buddhism but also about Taoism and Confucianism, providing sufficient evidence of how the three religions influenced Chinese society collectively. Therefore, Dazu Rock Carvings is the second Chinese grotto art included in...