Beishan is a hill above the town of Dazu in Chongqing, and its cliff is one of the finest galleries of Buddhist sculpture in China. Beginning in the late Tang dynasty, in the ninth century, a local official ordered carvings into the rock face, and over the next two and a half centuries the work grew into a long wall of niches, with figures of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, monks and guardians, carved with extraordinary refinement. It is part of the Dazu Rock Carvings, which UNESCO listed in 1999.
What sets Beishan apart is its delicacy. The figures are slender and graceful, with soft robes, detailed jewellery and calm expressions, and many of them were once painted and gilded. The Water-Moon Guanyin, the goddess of mercy sitting in a relaxed pose, with a gentle face and a flowing robe, is among the best-known pieces, and the Peacock King, a fierce protector riding a bird, shows the same skill. The carvings are in shallow niches along a covered gallery, so you walk close to them, and the air has a mixture of incense and damp stone.
The Sichuan basin is a green, misty country. Hills are covered with terraced rice fields, bamboo groves and small farms, and the weather is often cloudy and damp, which is part of the reason the carvings are weathered in places. The hill itself is wooded, with camphor and cypress trees, and the carved wall catches the soft light. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and in summer the air is humid and hot.
For the rider, the roads of Chongqing are a mix of modern expressways and winding country lanes, and they are crowded with trucks and scooters. Foreign visitors who want to ride in China should check the rules for licences and registration before travel, since they are strict. Dazu has fuel stations, hotels and restaurants, and the town centre is a short walk from the site. Sichuan food is hot and numbing, with chilli and pepper, and a bowl of noodles or a hot pot is the right reward after a morning among the carvings. Early mornings are quietest.