Dazu, China Tourism

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Confucian saints, although some do portray scenes from everyday life as well as landscapes, animals and plants. The statues are chiseled out of the hillsides and represent a type of cave temple otherwise mainly known from northern China; the oldest date from the end of the Tang period, i.e. the 9th C, and many others are from the 12th C.

The most valuable of all are to be found on the slopes of Mount North (Beishan) and at the foot of Treasure Chamber Mountain (Baodingshan).

The largest collection of Mount North sculptures, hewn over a period of 250 years starting from 892 AD, will be found near the town of Fowan (2km/1.25mi) northwest of Dazu), carved out of niches in a rock. The work in the southern section was carried out between the 9th and 10th C, that in the northern section after the 10th C.