Surroundings, Chongqing

There are numerous attractions in the Chongqing surrounding area.

Related Attractions

Stone Sculptures, Dazu, China

Stone sculptures are the main attraction around Dazu. The thousands of figures, taken mainly from Buddhist, Toaist, and Confucian ideas, are carved into hillsides.

Highlights:	Statue of Buddha, Dazu Stone Sculptures	Treasure Chamber Mountain, Dazu Stone Sculptures

Natural History Museum, Bebei, China

The Natural History Museum (Ziran Cenglieguan) lies in Bebei, a satellite town 45km/28mi northwest of Chongqing. There are some 60,000 exhibits, of which the fossilized dinosaur remains are of particular interest; the local region is famous for the fact that these animals roamed here in prehistoric times.

Red Cloud Mountain

Red Cloud Mountain, 60km/37mi northwest of Chongqing, is one of the most impressive mountains in the province. It is named after the Temple of the Red Clouds, built in 423, which was destroyed by fire in the middle of the 17th C and rebuilt in 1683. The highest of its nine peaks, Jade Peak (Yujian Feng), is 1040m/3413ft high.

Zigong Dinosaur Museum

The quite exceptional Dinosaur Museum is located at the now famous Dashanpu site some 11km/7mi north of Zigong and 180km/112mi west of Chongqing, where a great many, unusually well-preserved, dinosaur fossils were discovered. Skeletons of dinosaurs and other vertebrates are displayed in a 3600sq.m/39,000sq.ft exhibition area.

Show Details

Northern Hot Springs

The Northern Hot Springs (Beiwenquan) rise northwest of Bebei (52km/32mi northwest of Chongqing), in Wenfang Gorge near the Jialingjiang river, at the foot of Mount Jinyunshan. The free-flowing springs have an average temperature of about 35°C (95°F).

As well as the springs, the park-like surroundings also contain four Buddhist temples from the Ming and Qing periods (1368-1911); they are the Hall of the Great Buddha (Dafo Si) from 1432, which houses a giant statue of Shakyamuni, the Temple of Avalokiteshvara, the Temple of Amitabha and the Temple of General Guan Yu.

Southern Hot Springs

The Southern Hot Springs (Nanwenquan), lying 24km/15mi south of Chongqing among some delightful scenery, are very popular with visitors. Built in the second half of the 19th C, the baths are located in a beautiful park which has a brook running through it. The average temperature of the very sulfurous water is about 40°C (104°F).

Near the hot springs there are some other interesting sights, such as Fairy Mountain (Xiannüyou Yan), the Huaxi river, the Flying Waterfalls and an arched bridge.