Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.78> Article
Research Article

The Secularization of Ancient Chinese Religion: A Case Study of the Dazu Rock Carvings

Lulu DengXi'an Academy of Fine Arts*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The Song dynasty marked a pivotal period in the cultural, political, and economic development of ancient China, during which Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism coexisted and advanced in parallel. The Dazu rock carvings, begun in the late Tang and flourishing during the Northern and Southern Song, integrate Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist themes and serve as an important vehicle of historical and cultural development, standing out in Chinese cave temple art for their marked secularization. Situated in the Chongqing region, the Dazu rock carvings are closely intertwined with local customs and cultural practices, exhibiting distinctive regional characteristics that reflect the social life and local ethos of the time, and are of great scholarly and cultural significance. Drawing on previous scholarship and supported by field investigations in the Dazu rock carvings area, this study employs documentary analysis, iconographic methods, and fieldwork to examine the visual features of Bodhisattva images and narrative/allegorical scenes in the rock carvings. By analyzing the process of their secular transformation, the paper identifies the principal factors driving this shift and proposes a path of secularization and indigenization shaped by the interaction between foreign cultural elements and local traditions. The findings aim to offer new perspectives and points of reference for contemporary artistic practice.

Keywords: Dazu; rock carvings; ancient Chinese religion; secularization
Published: January 20, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.HT31374
Volume: CHR Vol.78
pp. 235-240
Download PDF

References

  1. www.cq.gov.cn. (2023-12-26) Dazu Rock Carvings Scenic Area. http: //www.cq.gov.cn/zjcq/cycq/zmjd/zqaaaaajjq/202312/t20231226_12744569.html
  2. Chongqing Municipal Local Office. (2020-05-22) Dazu Rock Carvings. http: //dfz.cq.gov.cn/zqlswh/fjms_417821/202311/t20231102_12510758.html
  3. Li, T. (2018) Continued Long Draft of Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government. Zhonghua Book Company.
  4. Wang, T.X. & He, J. (2010) An Investigation of Female Iconography in the Dazu Rock Carvings. Ethnic Art Studies, 23(03): 59-62. https: //doi.org/10.14003/j.cnki.mzysyj.2010.03.021.
  5. Zeng, F.Y. (2013) A Study on the Dazu Rock Carvings: a Secular Image Perspective on the Statues of Buddhism Goddess Guanyin (Master’s Thesis, Southwest University). https: //kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=IPzr95zWmwSnxW5N5a3XcbIbjd802D90V5WC_EGaIVeHKSD_VsbRG2PI4tKFGAytAWb4QeIUG-9tMGs8enJX9HimsGDLHmEI7zYr0dgJEdpEsluNIplXE3wMnPmTGv4T0U4iEIShdNEuXDuptzZTpudPlsPj8IvQ_XYW0WTiOm5P00Hd3ZFV8g==& uniplatform=NZKPT& language=CHS
  6. Li, Z.H. (2001) The Journey of Beauty. Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences Press.
  7. Xiao, Y.C. (2012) The Cultural Orientation of the Dazu Rock Carvings. Art Observation, (06): 109.
  8. Toqto’a, et al. (1985) History of the Song, Volume 439, Biographies of Literary Figures, Part I. Zhonghua Book Company.
  9. Li, F.Y. (1996) A Preliminary Exploration of the Cultural Foundations of the Dazu Rock Carvings in the Song Dynasty Social Science Research, (01): 115-121.
  10. Wang, X.B. (2010) Research of Regional Public Art Creation in Chongqing (Master’s Thesis, Chongqing University).https: //kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=IPzr95zWmwStFFpsz9OTkRUy9MYPk9ebluDI3x7Ec5H8sALZGbg3-mS1Lhu6-r0OsXZ-OqvfoOiIHRJZDq2UGze8Ui9ZPG0MF8Sl4rg9RZTCfdk8CZt4L6TjdWlwAg-48_mLe71Zql_NFelIWv5G4R6BmBtvsRiHxPtq2o9Wg1JMtRN9xK8Olg==& uniplatform=NZKPT& language=CHS