Written by: Mubashir Hassan
Posted on: September 09, 2026 | 
| 中文
The Thousand-Armed Guanyin at Baodingshan
The vibrant southwestern city of Chongqing is also known as the 8-D city of China because of its vertical, mountainous terrain. About 80 Km west of Chongqing’s skyscrapers lies one of humanity’s greatest artistic treasures: the Dazu Rock Carvings. This rock art site comprises several cliff-face carvings scattered across five major locations of the Dazu district, among which the Baoding Mountain (Baodingshan) and North Mountain (Beishan) are more prominent. The other three, named Shimen Mountain (Shimenshan), South Mountain (Nanshan), and Shizhuan Mountain (Shizhuanshan), are also remarkable.
A mother showing parental kindness to her child
The scale of statues and inscriptions spread over the Dazu Rocks is staggering. In total, it comprises more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian statues, along with more than 100,000 inscribed Chinese characters on the rocks. They serve as ancient captions, prayers, and historical records.
Among this vast number of statues and inscriptions, some artistic pieces truly stand out as masterpieces that are worth seeing. One of the most breathtaking statues is the Thousand-Hand Guanyin on Baoding Mountain. It has been carved in the rocks, with a height of 7.7 meters and a width of 12.5 meters. It demonstrates the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion with literally hundreds of arms. The arms are fanning out across the cliff like a radiant peacock tail. It seems that each hand holds a different divine tool or ritual object. At a small distance from the Thousand-Hand Guanyin lies the statue of the Reclining Buddha or Sleeping Buddha, which is 31 meters long and seems to be in a sleeping position. With his closed eyes, the Buddha appears to be entering Nirvana and shows Shakyamuni's death and achievement of Parinirvana. Here, one may also find the Wheel of Reincarnation, a vivid, cinematic depiction of Buddhist cosmology showing the six realms of existence.
Statue of Liu Benzhi (a key figure in the Buddhist lineage) surrounded by heavenly deities and seated Buddhas
On North Mountain, the carvings are smaller and show elegant depictions of Guanyin (a deity of compassion in Buddhism) in various forms. Beside these religious icons, the rocks are adorned with secular scenes. For instance, farmers ploughing seeds, musicians playing musical instruments, and mothers nursing children have been carved out and offer a detailed visual diary of medieval Chinese daily life.
The story of Dazu begins in 650 A.D, during the Tang Dynasty in China. However, over the period of the late Song Dynasty (around 1174 AD), the site reached its zenith. At this time, imperial patronage of funding the great northern China grottoes had ended, and in response, Dazu became a grassroots movement. It was driven not by emperors, but by local monks, ordinary people, and traveling artisans.
Among these, one of the most influential figures was a Buddhist monk named Zhao Zhifeng, who initiated the massive project at Baoding Mountain and labored for over 70 years to complete his spiritual vision. In contrast to the previous royal patronage, these monks and local patrons carved their beliefs into the rock to educate the illiterate masses about morality and religious beliefs. The carvings evolved over 400 continuous years, from the late Tang through the Southern Song Dynasty. This long, uninterrupted timeline gave the artists the advantage of making Dazu the masterpiece of Chinese cave or rock art.
Statues of the Kings of Hell and Karmic Judgment at Baodingshan
Perhaps the most remarkable novel feature of the Dazu Rocks is their inclusivity of religious and ethical schools of thought. It combines the icons and idols of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in a single place. Earlier Chinese carved-out caves were almost exclusively Buddhist in nature. At Dazu, however, one can experience a rare, unique, and harmonious synthesis of China’s three great philosophical and religious traditions at a single point.
The Sleeping Buddha entering Parinirvana at Baodingshan
At several sites in Dazu, the historical statues of Buddha sit peacefully alongside Laozi (the founder of Taoism) and Confucius (the great Chinese social sage). This clearly reflects the religious landscape of medieval China. It depicts how ordinary people at that time often prayed to deities from all three traditions depending on their needs: Buddhism for salvation, Taoism for health and longevity, and Confucianism for moral guidance and social harmony. This harmony reflects China’s long history of religious pluralism, and it makes Dazu a living textbook of how different belief systems can coexist and enrich one another in daily practice.
The Three Saints of Huayan at Baodingshan
Given its significance as a treasure of global rock art, UNESCO listed the Dazu Rock Carvings as a World Heritage site in 1999. While praising its importance, UNESCO referred to Dazu as “the pinnacle of Chinese rock art”, for being a testimony to a harmonious synthesis of multiple religious and ethical schools of thought. UNESCO also described the quality of the carvings as not only of outstanding aesthetic quality but also an extraordinary insight into the material and social life of medieval China. For meeting three specific criteria of exceptional artistic achievement, a unique fusion of religious traditions, and an enduring expression of eclectic spiritual belief, Dazu has been placed alongside the Parthenon, the Pyramids, and the Taj Mahal as an irreplaceable masterpiece of human creative genius.
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