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Chongqing |
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Attractions: Dazu Grottos Chongqing Museum
Dazu Grottos
 Dazu Grottos is 160 kilometers northwest of Chongqing city. There are more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions dotted around Dazu. The carvings not only include the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva but also include that of monarchs, ministers, military officers, jailers, executioners, monks, rich and poor people, and folk artists and so on.
They are primarily Buddhist cave sculptures noted for unusual domestic detail as well as purely religious themes. The grottos in Dazu were carved during the period of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), and Song Dynasty (960-1279). The two major sites are Beishan (north hill) and Baoding (Baoding hill)
Beishan sculptures include over 1 0,000 figures of Buddha and Bodhisattva in various poses. They are famous for their elegance and exquisiteness. The figures of the Tang Dynasty are beautiful, full and round in appearance, and simple and honest in temperament. The sculptures carved during the period of the Five Dynasties are ingenious, subtle, and dainty, with natural looks. The images from the Song Dynasty are graceful in posture and well proportioned in physical build. Baodingshan sculptures and inscriptions, located 15 kilometers northeast of Dazu town, were carved during the Southern Song Dynasty. Many of the carvings in Baoding Grottos reflect religious doctrines and another set of carvings reflects Confucianism, specifically filial piety. There are also many other carvings at the site that tell Buddhist doctrines through the lives of ordinary people. With rich images as well as inscriptions, the Dazu Grottoes are regarded as an art treasure house that fully reflected the society, philosophy, religion and customs of the time.
Chongqing Museum
 Chongqing Museum is a sizable national museum with wide range of modern facilities. It is situated on the top of the Mountain Pipashan. It was founded in 1951 as the Southwest Museum and got its present day name in 1955. The museum covers an area of 5,500 square kilometers with a floor space of 3,000 square kilometers. It houses the cultural heritage of Chongqing.
The museum has over 40 exhibiting halls with about 100,000 pieces of historical and cultural artifacts, which spans over 3,000 years history from the ancient Kingdom of Ba and the near-mythical Three Kingdoms Period to World War Two. The antiquities in the museum mainly include bronze wares, pottery, paintings, porcelain, sculptures, etc. Ba-Shu bronze weapons can also be found in the museum. Exquisitely made and elaborately engraved, these weapons, especially "Round top axe" and "Spear with two rings", all express distinctive local features of Ba culture. There are many other historical and cultural artifacts that tell the ancient culture of Chinese, which are really worth seeing. Total: 4 Pages,Page 2 [ 1 2 3 4 ] | |
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