Chongqing and Dazu Grottos Tour

In the morning drive to Dazu Grottos located 80 kilometers west of Chongqing city. As one of the most famous stone carvings grottos in China, the Dazu Grottoes spread across more than 75 sites in Dazu County, containing over 50,000 stone sculptures. As an UNESCO World Heritage Site, it represents the last highest peak of Chinese Buddhism grotto art in the Chinese Song dynasty (960-1297). There Buddhism was assimilated with Chinese culture. Religion and secularity achieved their perfect balance. Mundane peace and joy blended with divine majesty and sobriety. The visits start from Baoding Mountain. Marvel at the gilded thousand-hand Guanyin with 1,007 arms - each holding an instrument of mercy. Meditate when seeing Wheel of Life, “a mandala of Buddhist samsara”- from heavenly delights to hellish tortures, all bound by earthly desires." Then Travel to Beishan Mountain, the earliest Buddhism carvings in Dazu. It is renowned for exquisite craftsmanship. The arts reflect secularization of Buddhism, blending Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies. In the late afternoon, drive back to Chongqing city and service ends.