Baoding Mountain, located in Baoding Town, Longgang, northeast of Dazu District, stands at an elevation of 527.83 meters and is 15 kilometers northeast of Dazu District. The renowned monk Zhao Zhifeng built the Grotto Temple here, which took more than 70 years to complete. Baoding Mountain is one of the sacred Buddhist sites, known for the saying ‘Worship at Emei in the morning, and Baoding in the afternoon’.
The stone carvings at Baoding Mountain are centered around the Great Buddha Bay, with 13 scenic spots including Xiaofowan to the east, Daota, Longtou Mountain, Shushi Mountain, Huangjupo to the south, Gaoguanyin to the west, Guangdashan, Songlinpo, and Buddha Rock, and Yanwan, Longtan, and Duimian Buddha to the north. Among them, the Great Buddha Bay carvings are of large scale, high artistic value, and well-preserved. Baoding Mountain stone carvings are a rare large-scale Buddhist Esoteric grotto site in China. The Great Buddha Bay serves as an outer preaching place for the general secular population, while Xiaofowan is an inner courtyard for believers to take vows and practice, forming a complete and distinctive system. In prominent positions of the grottoes, there are graphic illustrations of the deeds of Liu Benzun, known as the ‘Tang Yoga Sect Master’, and the images of Liu Benzun and Zhao Zhifeng ‘becoming Buddha in this life’ are carved in more than twenty places as the main figures. The expressive form of Baoding Mountain stone carvings stands out in grotto art. The thousands of statues in the Great Buddha Bay have unique themes, with internal connections in doctrine and mutual connections in form, forming an organic whole. The content starts with the Six Realms of Consciousness and ends with Liu Benzun’s enlightenment and Buddhahood. It includes teachings, principles, practices, and results, forming a system. The corresponding Sutra transformations are inscribed with scriptures, verses, and odes, with both text and illustrations, and are different from the Tibetan scriptures, representing Buddhist stone inscriptions outside the Tibetan canon, which are of significant academic value for the study of Buddhist scriptures. The statues emphasize the exposition of philosophy, integrating the basic doctrines of Buddhism with Confucian ethics, Neo-Confucian heart-nature, and Taoist teachings, showing the characteristics of Buddhist thought in the Song Dynasty of China. The entire area is open all year round from 09:00 to 18:00. The Baoding Mountain Scenic Area visitor center opens at 08:30 and closes at 16:30; ticket sales are from 08:30 to 16:00; and the last entry for inspection is at 16:10. Baoding Mountain Scenic Area (including Shengshou Temple) opens at 09:00 and closes at 18:00; ticket sales are from 08:30 to 16:00; and the last entry for inspection is at 17:00. Concessions include: Students: Domestic full-time undergraduate and below students aged 18 and above, with valid ID and student card, enjoy half-price tickets. Minors: Minors under 18, with valid ID or other valid documents, enjoy free tickets. Elderly: Elderly aged 60 to 64, with valid ID, enjoy half-price tickets; those aged 65 and above enjoy free tickets. Military personnel: Active military personnel, with valid ID and military certificates such as Officer’s Certificate, Non-Commissioned Officer’s Certificate, Conscript’s Certificate, and Civilian Cadre Certificate, enjoy free tickets. Active military family members: Family members of active military personnel, with valid ID and Military Dependent Certificate or related valid documents, enjoy free tickets. Retired and retired military personnel: Retired and retired military personnel, with valid ID and certificates such as Certificate of Honor for Retired Cadres, Officer’s Retirement Certificate, Civilian Cadre Retirement Certificate, Soldier’s Discharge Certificate, Non-Commissioned Officer’s Discharge Certificate, Transfer Certificate, and Certificate of Preferential Treatment for Veterans, enjoy free tickets. Firefighters and fire rescue academy students: On-duty and retired firefighters and fire rescue academy students, with valid ID and certificates such as National Comprehensive Fire Rescue Corps Officer Certificate, National Comprehensive Fire Rescue Corps Firefighter Certificate, National Comprehensive Fire Rescue Corps Retired (Retired) Certificate, and National Comprehensive Fire Rescue Corps Student Certificate, enjoy free tickets. ‘New Chongqing Talents’ cardholders: ‘New Chongqing Talents’ cardholders, with valid ID and service card, enjoy free tickets to Dazu Stone Carvings, digital cinema tickets, and Baoding Mountain scenic area transportation tickets. Type A and B talents and 1-7 accompanying persons enjoy free tickets; Type C talents and 1-5 accompanying persons enjoy free tickets; Type D and E (Dazu District) talents and 1-3 accompanying persons enjoy free tickets; Type F (Dazu District) talents enjoy free tickets.During national legal holidays, only the person himself is exempt from tickets. Accompanying persons are not exempt from tickets. Free for Buddhist and Taoist clergy: Buddhist and Taoist clergy can visit for free with their original valid ID cards and the “Clergy Certificate” printed by the Chinese Buddhist and Taoist associations. Free for people with disabilities: People with disabilities can visit for free with their original valid ID cards and the second-generation “People’s Republic of China Disability Certificate”.
Disabled military personnel can visit for free with their original valid ID cards and the “Disabled Military Personnel Certificate”. Disabled fire rescue personnel can visit for free with their original valid ID cards and the “Disability Certificate for National Comprehensive Fire Rescue Team”. Among them, people with visual, intellectual, and physical disabilities (first and second grades) can bring one accompanying caregiver to visit for free. Free for “three types of dependents”: Dependents of martyrs, dependents of military personnel who died on duty, and dependents of military personnel who died of illness can visit for free with their original valid ID cards and the “preferential treatment certificate for three types of dependents”. Supplementary note: (1) Tourists who purchase tickets can enter the park by checking tickets with their original valid identity documents (including ID card, social security card, Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, Taiwan Compatriot Travel Permit, Homecoming Permit, passport, etc. ). All kinds of documents that are altered, expired, or without document numbers are invalid; student ID cards without registration stamps are invalid; those with incomplete relevant information are invalid. (2) Policy-exempted personnel must go through the ticket-free procedures online or at the scenic spot ticket office with their original valid identity documents and preferential certificates. (3) Full-time undergraduates, adult colleges, in-service education, online education and other students do not enjoy student discounts. Service facilities: Transportation in the park: Reference price: 15 yuan per person for a round trip. Smoking area: Location: Smoking room in the tourist center.
