Cao Zhen

    caozhen0806@126.com

    A TOTAL of 79 pieces/sets of relics and reproduced items from the Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing Municipality are on display at the “Transcendence and Echoes: Discovery and Legacy of the Dazu Rock Carvings” exhibition at the Nanshan Museum. Entry is free.

    Dazu Rock Carvings refer to all the 102 cliff carving locations in Chong-qing’s Dazu District. Dating back to the seventh century, they depict Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs and are outstanding examples of grotto art in China. So far, 50,000 statues and 100,000 inscribed Chinese characters have been identified and over 75 sites are under protection. Among them, the rock carvings in Baodingshan, Beishan, Nanshan, Shizhuanshan and Shimenshan were listed as World Heritage Sites in 1999 for their diversity of subjects and the light they shed on daily life in ancient China.

    Carved between 892 and 1162, Bei-shan rock carvings are located along a cliff stretching 500 meters. The grottoes are very dense, like a hive. Statues built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) are plump and dignified; those of the Five Dynasties period (907-960) are dainty and exquisite; and the Song-Dynasty (960-1279) statues are well-proportioned, with elegant postures.

    Baodingshan rock carvings were constructed from 1174 to 1252 in a U-shaped valley. Built on a 500-meter-long cliff, the carvings depict the Buddhist instructions of behavior in daily life, which makes it more acceptable by general visitors. Construction of the carvings was organized by monk Zhao Zhifeng and based on a well-orchestrated plan, so the stories in the carvings are related. At the exhibition, visitors can admire several carvings with life-like expressions that fully show the advanced skills used in ancient Chinese rock carving.

    Among all the sculptures, it is the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Statue in Baodingshan that best combines sculpture, color paint and gild art together. With 1,007 arms behind the 7.7-meter-tall statue, the whole piece is like a peacock spreading its tail, and is very stunning. A 3D-printed replica of the statue’s head is on display at the exhibition.

    Grottoes in Nanshan, Shizhuanshan and Shimenshan were all carved in the Song Dynasty, with Nanshan carvings theming on Taoism, Shizhuanshan combining Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism together and Shimenshan mainly reflecting the stories in Buddhism and Taoism. These carvings vividly reflect exclusiveness in belief in the Song Dynasty.

    Dazu Rock Carvings enjoy a comparable reputation with the top four grottoes in China — Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes. Many statues’ colors have faded and rock slopes have been unstable over time, so restorations in Dazu have been carried out since the 1950s. An array of reproduced items at the exhibition gives visitors a clear impression of what the original ones looked like.

    Dates: Until Aug. 8

    Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays

    Booking: WeChat account “nanshanmuseum”

    Venue: Nanshan Museum, Nanshan District (南山区南山博物馆)

    Metro: Line 1 to Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B