Dazu Grotto
Located 163km northwest of Chongqing, Dazu Grottos include more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions dotted around Dazu, which are mainly found on North Hill (Beishan Hill) and Baoding Hill. They date from Tang Dynasty (9th century) to Song Dynasty (13th century).
Just about a 30 minute hike from Dazu town, North Hill sculptures include over 10,000 figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in various poses; they are famous for their elegance and exquisiteness. The development of Chinese grotto art is obvious as one compares figures from earlier and later periods. The figures carved during the Tang Dynasty are decorous, full and round in appearance, and simple and honest in temperament. The sculptures carved during the period 
of the Five Dynasties are ingenious, subtle, and dainty, with natural and unrestrained looks. The images from the time of the Song Dynasty are graceful in posture and well-proportioned in physical build; their garments are gorgeous beyond description. Human beings and deities are ingeniously and skillfully merged in the sculptures.
About 15km northeast of Dazu town, the sculptures at Baoding Hill c
omprise the best of Dazu¡'s art. The founding work is attributed to Zhao Zhifeng (1179-1245), a monk from the Esoteric Sect of Tantric Buddhism. The masterpiece is a 31m-long, 5m-high reclining Buddha, depicted in the state of entering nirvana. Statues around the rest of the 125m horseshoe vary considerably: Buddhist sages and preachers, historical figures, realistic scenes and delicate sculptures a few centimeters in height. The sculptures demonstrate a skillful combination of scientific principles and artistic models, reflecting the rich social context and very flavor of life of ancient Chinese people.
Northern Hot springs
Fifty kilometers northeast of the city, the Northern Hot Springs are in a large park at the foot of Jinyun Mountain, which is the site of a 5th century Buddhist temple. It covers an area of ten hectares with hot springs, caves, man-made rock formations and Buddhist Halls.
The springs have an Olympic-sized swimming pool and private rooms for hot bath. Water temperature averages around 32 C(89.6 F). It is believed that the chemical elements contained in the water can help cure some diseases like Dermatitis, Rheumatism, Arthritis and Muscular Pain.
Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell
Only 4.5 about kilometers southeast of the downtown, the residence of Joseph W. Stilwell is worth a visit. General Joseph Warren Stilwell (1883-1946) was chief commander of US forces in the China-Burma-India Theatre during World War II. In 1942, ranked as a major general, he was dispatched to CBI and was regarded as the best field commander in the entire United States Army. General Stilwell was a true friend of the Chinese people as well as a Chinese linguist. To recognize Stilwell's contribution to the Burma Road campaign, part of the Burma Road was named the Stilwell Road.
Arhat Temple (Luohan Temple)
"Luohan" is the Chinese rendering of the Sanskrit "arhat" which is a Buddhist term referring to people who attained enlightenment, while he postponed his entry to nirvana to assist others.
Built about 1000 years ago, the temple has a long entranceway flanked by rock carvings, a hall of painted terracotta arhat sculptures and a hall containing a large gold Buddha figure. Behind the Buddha altar is an Indian-style mural depicting Prince Siddhartha in the process of his secular life to ultimate nirvana.
