A Guide to Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing: Exploring Beishan

Locals often say, "Baodingshan is for the spectacle, Beishan is for the connoisseur." Many visitors to Dazu head straight to Baodingshan, often overlooking Beishan. However, as one of the five Dazu mountains designated as a World Heritage Site, Beishan Stone Carvings not only predates Baodingshan but also rivals it in terms of exquisite craftsmanship and artistic value. With over 300 niches and 5,000 statues preserved to this day, Beishan offers a serene experience free from tour groups, live streams, and selfie-obsessed crowds. Even Mr. Liang Sicheng visited this place, so it must be worth exploring. 🗿About Beishan Stone Carvings Originally a "military base" in the late Tang Dynasty, it has witnessed the Tang, Five Dynasties, and two Song periods. 📸Highlights ✅Guanyin Statue Exhibition Hall: Exquisite Guanyin statues from various eras. ✅Peacock King Niche: A rare statue of the "God of War." ✅Amitayus Sutra Cave: A Tang Dynasty masterpiece. ✅Duobao Pagoda and Two Buddhas: Often overlooked gems. ✅Journey to the West Quartet: Monk Sha Wujing has "come ashore." ✅Zhao Yijian's Epitaph: Cai Jing, a calligraphy master overshadowed by his reputation as a treacherous official. ✅Rotating Scripture Library Cave: The closed-off areas always hold the finest treasures. 🌃Night Tour Beishan Stone Carvings offers a night tour. The high saturation might be a bit jarring at first, but the "high-tech" restoration of the statues to their pre-weathered, unfaded, and undamaged state is truly stunning. 📌Tips: The Journey to the West statues are on the roof of the ticket office. The Duobao Pagoda and Two Buddhas are on the mountain straight ahead from the Beishan Stone Carvings exit (take the wooden steps up the mountain on the left). Go straight to the top, turn left, and you'll find them past the restrooms.