Chongqing - Chongqing's Dazu Rock Carvings are known worldwide, yet many of them are not located in scenic areas. Scattered across villages and mountains, they have been quietly protected by generations of local residents.
Photographer Dai Xiaobing, a professional photographer for nearly 30 years, first came to Dazu more than 15 years ago. At first, he focused on the carvings themselves. Four years ago, however, he began turning his lens toward the people who guard them.
Among them is Zhou Yaode, who has protected a site for more than 30 years without taking a single day off. When asked how long he would continue, he said, "Until the very last moment of my life."
There is also Sister Feng, who lives near a small cave site. In the rain, her bedding gets wet; in winter, the cave is bitterly cold. Still, she remains there.
"In my project, I am only a simple documentarian," Dai says. "What truly gives these works their power is time, and the guardians who have grown alongside it. They are the real light. They are the real mountains."
Through his photographs, Dai hopes to preserve not only the thousand-year-old carvings, but also the lives of the unsung people who protect them.
This is a tribute to the guardians of Dazu's stone carvings — ordinary people whose quiet devotion deserves to be remembered.