Dazu Rock Carvings Guide for Foreigners: Local’s Top 5 Sites

Everyone’s talking about Chongqing’s 8D magic—trains through buildings, stairs that go to the 10th floor… but as a local who’s lived here 30 years (and helped over 200 foreign friends plan trips in 8 years), I can tell you: the city’s most precious treasure isn’t viral—it’s the Dazu Rock Carvings. These 1,000-year-old stone artworks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but most visitors only see one spot and miss the rest.

I’ve seen friends rush to Baoding Mountain and leave without seeing Nanshan’s rare Taoist carvings—total waste! That’s why I made this guide: to break down all 5 key Dazu Rock Carvings sites. No more skipping hidden gems—this is how I take my foreign friends to experience the real magic of Dazu. (Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners)

Baoding Mountain Carvings

1. Baoding Mountain Carvings (Baoding Shan Shike) – Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners

This is the “star” of Dazu—but don’t let that fool you into rushing. It’s the biggest and most famous, but you need time to soak it in.

1.1 Basic Info

• Address: Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, Baoding Town, Dazu District, Chongqing.

• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM; last entry at 4:30 PM.

• Ticket Price: Peak season (March–November): ¥115/person; Off season (December–February): ¥100/person. Combined ticket (Baoding + Beishan): ¥140 (peak), ¥120 (off).

• Transport: From Dazu urban area, take bus No. 205 or 206 to Baoding Mountain Tourist Center, then walk 10 minutes. By car: Take G5013 Yurong Expressway, exit at Dazu East or Dazu West, then take Baotang Avenue to the site.

1.2 What Makes It Special

• Planned by the famous monk Zhao Zhifeng, it has 40 cliff carving groups, over 10,000 figures, and 16 stone tablets—no two niches are the same.

• The Thousand-Hand Guanyin (1,007 golden hands!) is mind-blowing—each hand holds a different object, and the gold paint still shines.

• The Reclining Buddha is 31 meters long, but only the upper body is visible (the lower half “disappears” into the cliff)—so creative!

1.3 Why You Should Go

It’s the heart of Dazu Rock Carvings—you’ll see the full glory of Song Dynasty Buddhist art. My friend from Italy said it “felt like walking through a stone museum.”

• Pro Tip: Hire an English guide (¥50/hour)—they’ll tell you stories about how the carvings were made. I skipped this once and missed so much!

• Avoid This: Don’t buy “souvenir carvings” outside—they’re plastic fakes (¥20 for a cheap copy). Save your money for a real postcard.

Beishan Mountain Carvings in the night

2. Beishan Mountain Carvings (Beishan Shan Shike) – Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners

Beishan is my favorite for evenings—night tours make the carvings feel magical. It’s smaller than Baoding but just as amazing.

2.1 Basic Info

• Address: Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, Longgang Street, Dazu District, Chongqing.

• Opening Hours: Regular: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM); Night tour (summer): 7:30 PM – 11:00 PM (last entry 9:30 PM); Night tour (winter): 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (last entry 9:00 PM).

• Ticket Price: Peak: ¥70/person; Off season: ¥50/person. Combined ticket (Baoding + Beishan): same as above.

• Transport: From Dazu urban area, take bus No. 202 or 203—get off at Beishan Rock Carvings Station (5-minute walk).

2.2 What Makes It Special

• Carved from the late Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, it has nearly 10,000 figures and 51 themes—most are Buddhist Tantric art.

• The carvings are super detailed—Bodhisattva figures look elegant and gentle, like real people.

• Night tour highlight: Warm yellow lights light up the stones—you’ll feel like you’re back in ancient times.

2.3 Why You Should Go

It shows how stone art changed from Tang to Song. The night tour is a must—my friend from Canada said it was “the most peaceful part of his Chongqing trip.”

• Personal Touch: I took my cousin here last winter—we stayed until 10:00 PM, and the guide let us take extra photos. The Bodhisattva under the lights looked so soft!

• Avoid This: Don’t go to the night tour in flip-flops—the path is stone and slippery. Wear sneakers.

Nanshan Mountain Carvings

3. Nanshan Mountain Carvings (Nanshan Shan Shike) – Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners

Nanshan is a hidden gem—most tourists skip it, but it’s perfect if you love Taoist art (super rare in China!).

3.1 Basic Info

• Address: Longgang Street, Dazu District, Chongqing (about 2 km south of Dazu urban area).

• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM; last ticket sale 4:00 PM, last entry 4:30 PM.

• Ticket Price: ¥30/person (cheapest of the 5 sites—total steal!).

• Transport: Take a taxi from Dazu urban area (¥15); or take a bus to Beishan first, then a taxi (starting price ¥8).

3.2 What Makes It Special

• Carved in the Southern Song Dynasty, it has 4 niches, 3 stone tablets, and 11 inscriptions—centered on Sanqing Cave (Taoist gods).

• It’s a rare Taoist stone temple—you’ll see a complete Taoist god system (most carvings in China are Buddhist).

• The calligraphy on the Song/Ming/Qing tablets is beautiful—even if you don’t read Chinese, the characters look like art.

3.3 Why You Should Go

If you want to see something unique, this is it. Taoist carvings are hard to find, and Nanshan’s are the best in Sichuan.

• Pro Tip: Go at 10:00 AM—the sun hits Sanqing Cave perfectly, making the carvings look brighter.

• Avoid This: Don’t rush—there are only 4 niches, but each has so much detail. Spend 30 minutes here, not 10.

Shimenshan Mountain Carvings

4. Shimenshan Mountain Carvings (Shimenshan Shan Shike) – Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners

Shimenshan is for people who love “mixed” art—Buddhist and Taoist figures together. It’s fun and quirky.

4.1 Basic Info

• Address: Xinsheng Village, Shima Town, Dazu District, Chongqing.

• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM; last ticket sale 4:00 PM, last entry 4:30 PM.

• Ticket Price: ¥30/person.

• Transport: By car: Take G5013 Yurong Expressway, exit at Wangu, then take Jinshan Road. By bus: Take No. 210 or 211 from Dazu Bus Station to the site.

4.2 What Makes It Special

• Carved from Northern Song to Southern Song, it has 22 niches on the east, west, and south cliffs—mixes Buddhism and Taoism.

• Taoist figures are the best: Qianliyan (Far-Seeing Eye) has big copper-like eyes, and Shunfeng’er (Good-Hearing Ear) looks like he’s listening hard—so lively!

4.3 Why You Should Go

It’s a fun break from all-Buddhist sites. The art is playful and creative—my friend from Brazil said she “laughed at how expressive the eyes were.”

• Hidden Trick: Ask the guard at the entrance to point out the “hidden monkey” in one niche—it’s a small carving in the corner, easy to miss!

• Avoid This: Don’t go on a rainy day—the path is muddy, and the carvings are hard to see. Check the weather first.

Shizhuanshan Mountain Carvings

5. Shizhuanshan Mountain Carvings (Shizhuanshan Shan Shike) – Dazu Rock Carvings guide for foreigners

Shizhuanshan is the most unique—it mixes Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism (three religions in one!).

5.1 Basic Info

• Address: Fohui Village, Sanqu Town, Dazu District, Chongqing.

• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM; last ticket sale 4:00 PM, last entry 4:30 PM.

• Ticket Price: ¥30/person.

• Transport: Public transport is tricky—best to take a taxi/chartered car (¥50 from Dazu urban area). Or take a bus to Dazu Bus Station, then a taxi.

5.2 What Makes It Special

• Carved by a Song Dynasty landlord named Yan Xun, it’s a “three-religion” site—Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism.

• The “Confucius and His Ten Disciples” carving is one-of-a-kind in China—you’ll see Confucius sitting with his students, all in stone.

5.3 Why You Should Go

It shows how different religions mixed in ancient China—super interesting for history buffs. My friend from the US (a history teacher) said it was “his favorite site in Dazu.”

• Personal Touch: I went here last spring with my grandma—she’s a Confucian scholar, and she explained the stories behind each disciple. It made the carvings feel alive!

• Avoid This: Don’t forget water—there’s no snack shop here, and the walk from the parking lot is 15 minutes. Bring a bottle with you.

Final Recommendation: My Go-To Guide for Dazu Rock Carvings

I spent 2 months helping put together DolphinUnion’s Chongqing guide—even I use it when my foreign friends visit, because it has all the little details I can’t fit in this blog. The guide has hidden photo spots (like the best angle for the Reclining Buddha at Baoding Mountain I told you about earlier) and a step-by-step bus/taxi booking tutorial (with photos, so you won’t get lost in Dazu’s small towns—trust me, I’ve seen friends take the wrong bus to Shizhuanshan).

Chongqing An 144-Hour Adventure Through World Heritage Sites

Buy Now

Last week, a reader from Australia messaged me saying our guide saved his trip. He was going to skip Nanshan and Shimenshan, but the guide told him they were “the hidden gems.” He went, and he said the Taoist carvings at Nanshan were “the most surprising part of his China tour.”

If you don’t want to scribble down notes from this blog, or worry about missing those hidden spots, grab our DolphinUnion guide—it’s like having a local friend with you the whole time, sharing all the hacks that make Dazu Rock Carvings unforgettable. You’ll save time, skip the stress, and actually connect with the 1,000-year-old art.