Chongqing—On July 28, 2025, over 20 leading scholars and experts gathered at the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings to celebrate the first anniversary of the academic journal Studies in Dazu Rock Carvings. The symposium marked a key milestone in the journal’s development and explored future pathways for enhancing academic quality and impact.

Over the past year, the journal has focused on grotto temples and related cultural heritage with a rigorous academic approach and an open, interdisciplinary vision. It has successfully compiled a wide array of pioneering research from domestic and international scholars, providing theoretical foundations for the conservation and transmission of the Dazu Rock Carvings. At the same time, the journal has played a vital role in fostering dialogue and mutual understanding in the broader field of Bashu civilization and cave temple culture.

The First Anniversary Symposium of Studies in Dazu Rock Carvings. (Photo/ the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings)

The journal's key strengths lie in its rich and regionally distinctive column structure, including sections such as "Theory and Methodology," "Grotto Archaeology," "Bashu Grotto Research," "Research Exploration," "Grotto Conservation," and "Academic Trends." The "Bashu Grotto Research" section is a signature feature, focusing on the latest archaeological data and research from Sichuan and Chongqing.

The journal's contributor base is both professional and representative, drawing from leading universities, research institutes, and cultural institutions across China and abroad. Contributors include prominent scholars such as archaeologists Huo Wei, Li Chongfeng, and Sun Hua; religious studies experts Lü Jianfu and Huang Xianian; art historians like Zhang Zong; and conservation specialists Huang Kezhong and Wang Jinhua. International scholars, including Giuseppe Vignato, Alice Casalini, and Phillip E. Bloom, have also made significant contributions.

Combining academic depth with cultural elegance, the journal features high-quality design and formatting, with attention to readability and cultural aesthetics. It embodies the refined spirit of Tang and Song cultural heritage represented by the Dazu Rock Carvings.

Launched in June 2024, Studies in Dazu Rock Carvings is a quarterly academic journal jointly published by the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings. It is China's first academic journal on grotto temples initiated by a cultural institution since the Dunhuang Research journal and stands as Chongqing's first officially distributed academic publication in the cultural heritage sector.