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Painted Buddhist rock carvings at Baodingshan, Dazu

PreeChina · Route Guide

Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip from Chongqing

A sample itinerary from Chongqing that PreeChina can turn into a tailor-made tour, with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant.

1 day 4 stops Start: Chongqing 77 km to Dazu Rock Carvings, straight line USD 305 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Route Quick Facts

Start
Central Chongqing (重庆)
Stops
4, in order of distance
Farthest Stop
99 km, straight line
Chain Length
160 km one way, straight line
Length
1 day
Carving Period
Late Tang to Southern Song

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip from Chongqing, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Day tripUSD 305USD 220USD 185USD 175USD 160USD 155USD 145USD 135

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why This Route

Cave Art Built From Daily Life

Buddhist cave art in China brings Longmen and Yungang to mind. Dazu takes another path. Its carvings date from the late Tang to the Southern Song dynasty, and many subjects come from daily life and from the blending of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism.

At Baodingshan, the Parental Kindness sutra scenes and the Hell tableau tell their stories across linked scenes, and many figures keep their paint.

The route runs 77 to 99 km from Chongqing. Wanling, an old river-port town, sits between the main site and the two carved caves. The Chongqing city guide covers the city itself.

Itinerary

Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip from Chongqing Itinerary From Chongqing

The Day

  1. 1

    Dazu Rock Carvings (大足石刻). Cliff carvings from the late Tang to the Southern Song dynasty, centred on Baodingshan and Beishan.77 km from central Chongqing, straight line

  2. 2

    Wanling (万灵). An old river-port town on the Laixi River.32 km from the previous stop, straight line

  3. 3

    Huayandong Carvings (华严洞石刻造像). A large Song-dynasty cave.48 km from the previous stop, straight line

  4. 4

    Piluodong Carvings (毗卢洞石刻造像). Northern Song carvings.3 km from the previous stop, straight line

Stops follow distance from central Chongqing. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.

Route Map

Map of the Stops

The yellow marker is central Chongqing. Numbers 1 to 4 follow the route order. The line joins stops in a straight line and does not follow roads.

Stop by Stop

The Stops

Carved Buddhist cliff scenes at Baodingshan
1
Rock Carvings

Dazu Rock Carvings (大足石刻)

77 km from central Chongqing, straight line

Cliff carvings from the late Tang to the Southern Song dynasty, centred on Baodingshan and Beishan. Unlike Yungang and Longmen, many subjects come from daily life and from the blending of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. At Baodingshan, the Parental Kindness sutra scenes and the Hell tableau tell their stories across linked scenes. Many figures keep their paint.

Old river-port street in Wanling with stone steps
2
Old Town

Wanling (万灵)

88 km from central Chongqing, straight line

An old river-port town on the Laixi River. Its earlier name was Lukong. A Huguang guildhall and a fortress gate still stand.

Carved bodhisattvas inside Huayan Cave
3
Rock Carvings

Huayandong Carvings (华严洞石刻造像)

96 km from central Chongqing, straight line

A large Song-dynasty cave. The main figures are the Huayan Three Sages, with the Ten Bodhisattvas on both sides. The cave walls carry carved sutra stories, and the paint survives.

Purple Bamboo Guanyin carving in Pilu Cave
4
Rock Carvings

Piluodong Carvings (毗卢洞石刻造像)

99 km from central Chongqing, straight line

Northern Song carvings. The Purple Bamboo Guanyin sits on the rock wall with one foot on a lotus and one foot raised, relaxed, with robes flying. It looks nothing like the usual upright seated Guanyin. People call it the Oriental Venus, and it is the most direct example here of Song carving turning secular.

Distances

Distance From Central Chongqing

#StopTypeStraight line
1Dazu Rock CarvingsRock Carvings77 km
2WanlingOld Town88 km
3Huayandong CarvingsRock Carvings96 km
4Piluodong CarvingsRock Carvings99 km

Straight-line distances from the centre of Chongqing. Road distances are longer.

Independent Travel

Doing This Route Independently

Arranging these 4 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Route Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 1 day and 4 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

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Questions

FAQ

How far are the Dazu Rock Carvings from Chongqing?

The main site sits 77 km from central Chongqing in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

How are the Dazu carvings different from Longmen and Yungang?

Many Dazu subjects come from daily life and from the blending of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. Baodingshan tells stories across linked scenes, and many figures keep their paint.

What is the Oriental Venus?

It is the Purple Bamboo Guanyin in Pilu Cave, a Northern Song carving. The figure sits relaxed on the rock wall with one foot on a lotus and one foot raised.

What is Wanling?

An old river-port town on the Laixi River, earlier named Lukong, with a Huguang guildhall and a fortress gate. It lies 88 km from central Chongqing in a straight line.

How do I plan Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip from Chongqing from Chongqing?

Start from the stop order on this page, then tell us your dates, group size and pace through the contact form. We build the route into a private itinerary with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant from arrival to departure.

Can I book Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip from Chongqing as a tailor-made tour?

Yes. PreeChina plans every trip as a private, custom, tailor-made journey. This route is a starting point, and we adjust the stops, the days and the pace.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

Anyone who wants a full day at one place. The route moves between 4 stops, so the visit at each is shorter.

Plan More

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See all PreeChina route itineraries

Explore More

This route is in Chongqing. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

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Attractions in and around Chongqing

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Theme maps

Background reading

Plan This Route as Your Tailor-Made Tour

Tell us when you arrive in Chongqing, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

Plan My Custom Tour See Pricing