Dazu
If you have the time to head out to Dazu, a hundred miles west of Chongqing, then it’s a thoroughly worthwhile two-hour ride. Nestled in the damp, overgrown valleys you’ll find thousands of Buddhist statues carved into the rockface, resplendent in (recent) color. Dazu is one of the few southern examples of Buddhist cave art and many of the astoundingly detailed carvings date from the Song and Tang dynasties. The carvings are found in two principal areas, with Baoding Shan the most impressive, while Bei Shan has the earliest work. At Baoding Shan you’ll find nearly 10,000 cliff-side figures spread around a Ushaped cove. Carvings include a grand reclining Sakyamuni at the bottom of the U and an amazing thousand-armed Guanyin. Baoding Shan can get busy so it’s best to come around lunchtime. Or if you’re looking for more solitude try quieter Bei Shan, but it’s less popular for a reason and the carvings here pale in comparison.
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