An exhibition featuring photographs and replicas of ancient stone carvings from Dazu County, Chongqing Municipality opened to visitors in Chongqing.

The Dazu Carvings are some of the most famous grotto art in China. They comprise more than 50,000 stone sculptures of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian figures. The site was added to the World Heritage list in December 1999.

The majority of the sculptures were carved during the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Dazu sculptures marked the second consummate level of carving arts in Chinese history.

Composed of six sections, the exhibition is equipped with light, sound and other modern effects to provide vivid images of the Dazu carvings. There are about 20 replicas of stone carving figures decorated with 200 lighted billboards.

"It gives those who do not go to visit Dazu Carvings a chance to catch a glimpse of the traditional Chinese art," said Tong Dengjing, curator of the Dazu Carvings Museum.

The exhibition will later be shown in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong as well as Japan and southeast Asian countries.

(People's Daily 04/27/2001)