The Dazu Rock Carvings is as famous as the Mogao Cave in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. Dazu County 160 kilometers northwest of Chongqing, Dazu Grottos include over 60, 000 figures scattered in more than 100 places. They were carved during the times of the Tang 618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), and Song (960-1279) dynasties.

The collection of statues located at the foot of Baoding Hill and North Hill is the largest in scale, the richest in content, the best-preserved, most exquisitely carved and highest in artistic value, which are fine examples of grotto sculpture in the late years of Chinese feudalism. They are primarily Buddhist cave sculptures noted for unusual domestic detail as well as purely religious themes. Among the rock carvings, the Buddhist statues dominate in this rock carving group, and the Taoist and the Confucian stone figures can also be seen. The statues sculptured in the Song Dynasty are the best preserved and most well-known for their characteristics, tastes and interesting plots. Started in 1179 AD, the carving of statues lasted over 70 years till 1249 AD.

   

Lying 1 kilometer northwest of Dazu County town, North Hill sculptures and inscriptions include over 10,000 figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in various poses; they are famous for their elegance and exquisiteness. They began to be carved in late tang Dynasty and the work continued through the Five Dynasties (907-960) to the North & South Song Dynasties. The figures carved in the Tang Dynasty are decorous, full and round in appearance and simple and honest in temperament. The sculptures carved in the Five Dynasties are ingenious, subtle, and dainty with natural and unrestrained looks. The Images of the Song Dynasties are graceful in posture, well-proportioned in physical build, and gorgeous in clothes. These works were finely wrought with human beings and deities ingeniously which merged in the sculptures exactly conforming to traditional Chinese aesthetic standards.

Located 15 kilometres northeast to the County town, Baoding Hill sculptures and inscriptions cared in South Song Dynasty, are the only extant Boddhist Secret Sect Bodhimandala carved on stone in China. Stone statues were scattered over an area of 2.5 square kilometers, particularly in Dafowan where most valuable sculptures were concentrated. Dafowan is a huge gorge in U shape with a length of 500 meters. Stone sculptures were hewn out along the cliffs. The overall structure is imposing and magnificent and the composition is wonderful and ingenious. These sculptures are very impressive with the skillful combination of scientific principles and artistic models, and with rich social content and flavor of life. There figures are realistic for their origination from life. They provide rich historic materials because they vividly reflected the life, thoughts and feelings of the ancient people.

The most outstanding of them are the "Thousand-Arm Goddess of Mercy" and the Sleeping Buddha. The former holds in her 1007 hands various objects such as Buddhist magic formulas, weapons of ancient times, musical instruments, jade ornaments, silk fabrics, production tools, and articles for daily use. Her arms and hands look exquisite and graceful in their myriad postures: raised or down, extended or withdrawn, relaxed or clenched etc. This fully shows the extraordinary talent and skill of ancient artists. The Sleeping Buddha is grand and imposing.

The grottoes represented by sculptures on Beishan and BaodingshanHill outline the development of the grotto art from later Tang Dynasty to later Song Dynasty Pushing Chinese grotto art to a new summit with distinctive national and local characteristics, they are masterpieces of the later period of Chinese grotto art. Dazu Grottoes are now a renowned tourist attraction.

Other attractions include Xiaofowan, Daota, Wansuilou, Shengshou Temple etc. Temple of Sacred Longevity constructed at the foot of the Hill, is made up of lofty halls and pavilions with double eaves and exquisite carvings. Weimo Hall stands at the top and houses a sleeping statue of Weimo, a lay Buddhist, and 77 round shrines with small Buddhist statues above a stone platform. The Temple is surrounded by luxuriant cypresses.