Dazu Rock Carvings: Baodingshan, Beishan and a realistic day trip

The Dazu Rock Carvings in Dazu district, part of Chongqing municipality, combine religious sculpture with scenes of ordinary life. UNESCO recognises five clusters dating mainly from the 9th to 13th centuries: Baodingshan, Beishan, Nanshan, Shimenshan and Shizhuanshan.^[1] They are separate places, not five sections reached through one gate.

Start with Baodingshan, where a U-shaped gorge holds huge narrative groups. Add Beishan for a different arrangement of cliff niches if transport and entry times allow. Baodingshan lies 12 km north-east of Dazu city centre, Beishan 1.5 km to the north.^[2]

Choose one cluster, two clusters or an overnight stay

Give two to three hours to Baodingshan, more if you add the museum, a guide or the films. Add the journey from your starting point in Chongqing, ticket purchase and the return: a train that reaches Dazu South has not yet brought you to the carvings. A same-day return works if the connections fit; stay overnight if you want both clusters without a rush.

What to look for in the carvings

Baodingshan was carved between 1174 and 1252 under the monk Zhao Zhifeng. Its named works include the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, Shakyamuni entering nirvana and scenes of gratitude to parents.^[3] Follow the labels from figure to story instead of treating the cliff as a row of photo stops.

The U-shaped gorge holds large carved groups with scenes of herdsmen and ordinary life.^[1] At Beishan, carving began in 892;^[2] groups line a long cliff face, and inscriptions help identify history and religious beliefs.^[1] The two sites are different enough to repay seeing both.

The other three clusters are not copies of the same Buddhist figures: Nanshan is mainly Taoist, Shimenshan brings Buddhist and Taoist subjects together, and Shizhuanshan has a rare Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian arrangement.^[1] Shengshou Temple at Baodingshan was founded in the Southern Song period; its surviving buildings were rebuilt in the Qing period. The digital cinema shows a 23-minute 4K widescreen film and an 18-minute 8K dome film.^[3]

Ticket prices and what each product includes

The peak season runs from 1 March to 30 November; the lower season ends on 28 or 29 February. Internal transport at Baodingshan, a tourist bus and sightseeing vehicle, costs 22 CNY return or 12 CNY one way, and the digital films cost 80 CNY.^[2] The package prices are not simply the sum of the separate products. Package D covers Baodingshan's internal transport only, not a transfer between Beishan and Baodingshan.

Reduced and free admission categories exist. They do not cover the films or the internal transport.^[2]

Foreign passports: buy at the visitor-centre counter

Online purchase through the official 大足石刻 WeChat account and the authorised 土行孙旅游 account is for holders of a resident identity card. With a passport, a Hong Kong or Macao permit or a Taiwan permit, buy your ticket at the staffed counter in the visitor centre.^[4]

Bring the document you bought the ticket with: entry is checked against it with facial recognition. Online tickets can be cancelled only before they are checked or before the paper purchase record is collected, and they cannot be rescheduled. Once a combined ticket has been checked, it can no longer be partly refunded unless the scenic area closes early or for maintenance.^[4]

Opening time is not the ticket deadline

Baodingshan is open 09:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 16:30, but you must buy and check your ticket at the Dazu Rock Carvings visitor centre. The centre is open 08:30 to 16:30, ticket sales run 08:30 to 16:00 and checking ends at 16:10.^[2] Arriving shortly before closing time does not work.

Beishan is open 09:00 to 18:00 by day, with ticket sales 08:30 to 16:00 and checking until 17:00. It also opens for evening visits from 19:30 to 23:00, with ticket sales from 19:30 to 21:00.^[2]

Getting from Chongqing or Dazu South to the right entrance

The three useful arrival points are Dazu South railway station (大足南站), the Dazu bus station (大足汽车站) and the Baodingshan visitor centre. Coach tickets can be booked on the 愉客行重庆市公路客运售票网 site.^[2]

From Dazu South to Baodingshan, take bus 204 to the 电信局 (Telecommunications Bureau) stop, then 205 to the visitor centre; or 206 to 宏声广场 (Hongsheng Square), then the 2015 stone-carvings line from 宏声文化广场 (Hongsheng Culture Square), or a taxi.^[2] The two square names are different stops, so match the Chinese characters when you board.

From Dazu bus station, take 205 or a taxi to the Baodingshan visitor centre. For Beishan, take 204 from Dazu South to Dazu Middle School or 206 to Hongsheng Square, then a taxi; from the bus station, take a taxi.^[2] Check the last return before you head out, and keep in mind that the Baodingshan internal shuttle ticket does not cover these journeys.

A car with a driver suits a group or a two-cluster day. Agree the total vehicle price, both entrances, waiting time and the return before you set off.

English guiding, films or self-guided

English guiding costs 260 CNY for one attraction (Beishan, Baodingshan or the museum) and 480 CNY for Baodingshan plus the museum.^[5] These prices are per session, not per person. A guide helps you connect the figures, inscriptions and family scenes; going on your own works too if you take time at the labels.

Weather, rules and the return journey

The carvings are on open cliffs, so bring water, sturdy shoes and sun or rain protection, and expect wet paths and steps after rain. Start early to enjoy the gorge with more room around you.

Do not touch the cultural relics or smoke in the scenic area. Pets are not allowed, except guide dogs, and you need your original ID document.^[2] Do not block the narrow viewing paths.

Confirm your return bus or driver before you leave the centre, and save the Chinese site and stop names offline. Ticket enquiries for Baodingshan go to 023-43785339 and guide enquiries to 023-43785531.^[2] Use the China travel overview to plan your next stop.