- Dazu Rock Carvings
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"Dazu" redirects here. For the county this site is located in, see Dazu County.
Dazu Rock Carvings * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country China Type Cultural Criteria i, ii, iii Reference 912 Region ** Asia-Pacific Inscription history Inscription 1999 (23rd Session) * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
** Region as classified by UNESCOThe Dazu Rock Carvings (Chinese: 大足石刻; pinyin: Dàzú Shíkè) are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the 7th century AD, depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs. Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are made up of 75 protected sites containing some 50,000 statues, with over 100,000 Chinese characters forming inscriptions and epigraphs. The sites are located in Chongqing Municipality within the steep hillsides throughout Dazu County, located about 60 kilometers west of the urban area of Chongqing. The highlights of the rock grotto are found on Mount Baoding and Mount Beishan.
The carvings were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999, citing "…their aesthetic quality, their rich diversity of subject matter, both secular and religious, and the light that they shed on everyday life in China during this period. They provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism."[1]
Contents
Overview
The earliest carvings were begun in 650 AD during the early Tang Dynasty, but the main period of their creation began in the late 9th century, when Wei Junjing, Prefect of Changzhou, pioneered the carvings on Mount Beishan, and his example was followed after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty by local and gentry, monks and nuns, and ordinary people during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-65). In the 12th century, during the Song Dynasty, a Buddhist monk named Zhao Zhifeng began work on the elaborate sculptures and carvings on Mount Baoding, dedicating 70 years of his life to the project.
Off limits to visitors for many years, the carvings were opened to Chinese travelers in 1961 and foreign visitors in 1980. Until 1975 there was only a muddy path between the town of Dazu and the main cluster of carvings. The isolation helped keep the art unharmed during the massive anti-religious vandalism of the Cultural Revolution.[2]
Gallery
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Dazu rock carving on Mount Baoding
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Dazu Bao Ding Mountain Rock Carvings
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Bao Ding Mountain Buddhas
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Bao Ding Mountain Circle of Life
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Golden Hands Buddha at Bao Ding
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Bao Ding Mountain Buddhas 2
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Bao Ding Mountain 18 layers of hell
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Bao Ding Mountain Demons with Rulers of hell
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Beishan Buddha
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Beishan peacock Buddha
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Beishan detailed Buddhas
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Bao Ding Mountain Entering Nirvana
References
- ^ Unesco Heritage Site List at Unesco Website.
- ^ Ross Terrill, Serene Haven of Buddhist Art, The New York Times, January 14, 1990, Accessed February 11, 2009.
External links
Media related to Dazu Rock Carvings at Wikimedia CommonsMunicipality of Chongqing - History
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Culture & Demographics Transport World Heritage Sites in China East Classical Gardens of Suzhou · Fujian Tulou · Lushan National Park · Mount Huang (Huangshan) · Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan) · Mount Tai (Taishan) · Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan) · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu · Ancient villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun · West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
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Southwest Dazu Rock Carvings · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Old Town of Lijiang · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area · Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
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Northwest Multiple regions
Coordinates: 29°22′57.9828″N 105°28′21.0966″E / 29.382773°N 105.472526833°ECategories:- 7th-century works
- World Heritage Sites in China
- Chinese Buddhist grottoes
- Visitor attractions in Chongqing
- Song Dynasty
- Tang Dynasty art
- Outdoor sculptures in China
- Sculpture series
- Rock art in China
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