The exhibition Cosmos in a Seed: Photography Exhibition of Dazu Rock Carvings and Their Guardians is currently on view at the Yanzi Memorial Hall in Fengxian district.

The show features the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the people who protect them, presenting more than 100 photographs and creative manuscripts by photographer Dai Xiaobing, created over a decade.

Located in Chongqing's Dazu district, the Dazu Rock Carvings comprise 141 cliffside carving sites and more than 50,000 statues. The carvings are predominantly Buddhist in theme, with Taoist imagery also present, and include both high- and low-relief works.

The carvings were first created during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), reaching their peak in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), with additions made during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They form a large collection that brings together the finest achievements of Chinese rock-carving art and is representative of later-period Chinese grotto art.

In 2009, the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings invited Dai to systematically document the carvings. The exhibition is divided into two sections. The Garden of Mount Meru focuses on the core carvings and grottoes scattered across the surrounding hills, using high-resolution large-format photography to capture their thousand-year artistic legacy. The Mountain of Mustard Seeds turns the lens on the guardians of the carvings, showing the ordinary people who have protected these sites across generations.

If you go

When: Through Oct 23

Where: Yanzi Memorial Hall, No 97 Alley 600, Wangyuan Road, Fengxian district

Admission: Free

Sources: Fengxian district government, Dimensions Art Center