INTRODUCTION

The Rock Carvings in Dazu’s South Mountain originates from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279 AD) and are predominantly Taoist statues. The area where they are located was originally called Yuhuangguan. While most of the rock carvings here are from the Southern Song Dynasty, there have been a few additions made in the Ming and Qing dynasties as well. Traditionally, there were very few rock carving sites in China depicting Taoism, so these kinds of rock carvings are very precious.

BACKGROUND & HISTORY

Located at the top of Dazu’s South Mountain, about 2 kilometers south of the Dazu urban area, the mountain was also known as Guanghua Mountain in ancient times. It is a lush scenic area with beautiful scenery. The rock carvings here are from the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty and the rock carvings are places along a cliff face that is about 80 meters long and between 3 - 10 meters tall. Being mostly Taoist in nature, you can find the Niche of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, the nice of the Holy Mother of God, the Sanqing Cave and the Dragon Cave. The South Mountain Rock Carvings are the most complete group of Taoist statues during this time in China.

South Mountain holds a total of 421 statues carved in the ancient caves of the Three Qings, showcasing a complete sequence of gods from the Taoist “Three Qings and Four Royals” to the 360 Tianzun, vividly reflecting that Taoism was practiced by many generations of elders and the “Three Qings” in the 12^th Century.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

Three Qings Caves,Dragon Cave., Niche of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, Nice of the Holy Mother of God