Dazu Rock Carvings, a day from Chongqing

Dazu Rock Carvings tickets and prices

In peak season Baodingshan (with Shengshou Temple) costs ¥115, Beishan ¥70, and the combined ticket for both ¥140. From December to February it's ¥100, ¥50 and ¥120. The shuttle from the visitor centre to the Baodingshan carvings is ¥12 one way or ¥20 return; the digital cinema is ¥80.

The combined ticket saves ¥45 in peak season if you have time for both sites; guides say it stays valid for three days. Students and seniors get roughly half-price tickets, but sources differ on whether foreigners qualify — bring your passport and a student card just in case.

Tickets are real-name. Buy them on Trip.com (English, foreign cards accepted), through the Chinese-only official “大足石刻” WeChat account, or at the visitor-centre counter. Most payments in China go through Alipay or WeChat Pay with a linked foreign Visa or Mastercard; carry some cash yuan as a backup.

Is the Dazu Rock Carvings trip worth it?

Yes, if you care about Buddhist art or Chinese history — it's YesGo's top day trip from Chongqing for culture. Compared with Longmen or Yungang, Dazu has far more everyday scenes: parents and children, herdsmen with their oxen. Many figures are still painted.

Skip it if you only have a day or two in Chongqing — the city itself, with its riverfronts, cable car and night views, is the better use of time. And if you're after scenery rather than sculpture, Wulong Karst is the stronger day out.

Baodingshan or Beishan?

Prices are official; timings and accessibility are unofficial, from guides. If you can only do one, YesGo recommends Baodingshan.

What to see at Baodingshan

• Nirvana of Shakyamuni — a 31-metre reclining Buddha stretched along the gorge wall.
• Thousand-Hand Guanyin — a bodhisattva whose hundreds of arms fan out across a whole rock face — the best-known image at Dazu.
• Wheel of Reincarnation — the six realms of rebirth carved as one huge wheel.
• Huayan Trinity — three figures about 7 m tall.
• Parents' Kindness Sutra — scenes from conception to old age, the most human panel in the gorge.
• Herding the Ox — a sequence of herdsman-and-ox scenes, a Buddhist parable.
• Shengshou Temple (圣寿寺) — included in the Baodingshan ticket.

Opening hours and how long you need

Baodingshan and Beishan are open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00. The visitor-centre ticket counters, though, work only from 8:30 to 16:00, so arriving later without a ticket won't work. Beishan also opens for night visits from 19:30 to 23:00 — guides say only in the warmer months.

Allow 2–3 hours for Baodingshan including the shuttle, plus 1–1.5 hours for Beishan and the transfer. With the trip from Chongqing and back it adds up to 8–10 hours. Arrive at opening: tour groups tend to turn up around 10:30–11:00, and entry can be capped during national holidays.

Day tour from Chongqing or on your own?

Going independently is cheaper: train, two taxis and the combined ticket come to about ¥450 per person. The tricky parts are the limited trains to Dazu South, the taxi from the station and the Chinese booking channels.

A tour with a car picks you up at your hotel, gets you there at opening and usually covers both sites — sensible in your first days in China, before Alipay and mobile data are sorted. Without a guide many Baodingshan panels are just beautiful figures; with one they become stories you can read scene by scene.

How to do it right

• Be at the visitor centre by 9:00 — the gorge is quiet before the tour groups arrive.
• Book your return train at least 6–7 hours after arrival if you want both sites.
• Taxis can be scarce at the Baodingshan car park — book a DiDi in advance or agree a return with your driver.
• Save the Chinese names — 重庆北站, 大足南站, 大足石刻游客中心, 北山石刻 — to show taxi drivers.
• The carvings are 3–4 km from the visitor centre — take the shuttle rather than walking.
• Entry is capped during national holidays — go on a weekday if you can.

Questions