Dazu Rock Carvings feature in Stone Light on 6 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 13:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSDigital heritage and public access
- The Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute presented Stone Light, Carved Image from 6 to 10 November 2026 in Chongqing.
- Thirteen scans from Baodingshan, Beishan and Nanshan formed the immersive presentation.
- UNESCO inscribed the Dazu site on the World Heritage List in 1999.
- The heritage area near Chongqing contains five principal carving clusters from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries.
Dazu Rock Carvings featured in the Stone Light, Carved Image presentation in Chongqing from 6 to 10 November 2026. The public exhibition translated high-resolution scans of the heritage site into an immersive cultural experience, giving visitors a digital view of carved figures that cannot be moved from their cliff settings.
Stone Light, Carved Image ran from 6 to 10 November
The Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute authorised 13 three-dimensional scans through its public-interest data channel for the ninth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo. The presentation appeared in the expo section devoted to technology and heritage, which opened in Chongqing on 6 November 2026 and closed on 10 November 2026.
The presentation used a multi-sided immersive space, 4K projection and animated journeys through the carvings. Its source material included the Thousand-Hand Guanyin niche and the Sutra of Filial Piety scene at Baodingshan, alongside material from Beishan and Nanshan. The institute said the event received about 65,000 visitors by its closing day. the institute's exhibition report records the dates, location and programme.
Digital scans connect three Dazu carving areas
The display did not present a general landscape film. It converted managed survey data into a spatial story, allowing visitors to examine figures, folds in clothing and weathered details from several angles without transporting the original sculptures. The research institute said the project was its first public-interest test of a complete chain from data collection and management to authorised cultural presentation.
That approach links the November presentation to the physical character of the site. The carvings remain fixed to steep hillsides near Chongqing, while the digital version can travel to an exhibition hall. UNESCO describes five main clusters at the World Heritage property, with work dating from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, and records its inscription in 1999. UNESCO's site description places the property in Dazu County, Chongqing Municipality.
What the November presentation means for visitors
The expo presentation ended on 10 November 2026, so it is not an attraction available at the Chongqing venue during the remaining November and December travel period. Visitors who travel to the heritage property instead encounter the original cliff carvings, not the temporary immersive installation described above.
The digital material also shows why the physical and virtual experiences differ. UNESCO identifies more than 10,000 carvings at Beishan alone, while the large Baodingshan group includes scenes of religious practice, herding and ordinary life. A digital presentation can bring selected details closer to the viewer, but it does not replace the hillsides, ravines and carved surfaces of the protected property.
Visiting Dazu Rock Carvings: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Stone Light, Carved Image presentation ran from 6 to 10 November 2026 at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo in Chongqing; it has ended.
- The original heritage property remains the relevant destination for visitors, while the expo installation was a temporary presentation of scans from Baodingshan, Beishan and Nanshan.
- The site is in Dazu County, within Chongqing Municipality, China, and UNESCO identifies five principal carving clusters.
- The terrain is formed by steep hillsides and cliff faces, including the Beishan cliff face described by UNESCO as about 7 to 10 metres high and around 300 metres long.
- Chinese is the official language and the currency is the renminbi.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Dazu Rock Carvings
When did Stone Light, Carved Image take place?
The presentation ran from 6 to 10 November 2026 at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo in Chongqing.
What did the presentation show?
It used 13 three-dimensional scans from Baodingshan, Beishan and Nanshan with immersive projection and digital animation.
Where are Dazu Rock Carvings and what are they?
The World Heritage property is in Dazu County within Chongqing Municipality. Its five main clusters contain rock carvings dating from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries.
