Legacy carved in stone

Dance drama brings Dazu's historical art to dazzling life, Tan Yingzi and Deng Rui report in Chongqing.

The recent Chongqing premiere of For an Eternal Homeland — Dazu Rock Carvers' Legacy has been hailed by the audiences and critics as a spectacle that brings the ancient figures of the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to life.

Through a blend of artistry and narrative, this dance drama has been recognized by many as a successful reimagining and revitalization that allows the historical treasure to shine anew.

Zhang Yaqi, artistic director of the dance drama, says that the collaboration between the municipality of Chongqing and the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, a national performing arts institution, was developed over a two-year period and pays tribute to Dazu's stone carvers.

The performance is themed on celebrating the ancient philosophical vision of an ideal society: renjian xiaoman; tianxia dazu, (literally "small satisfaction in human life; grand prosperity and abundance in the world").

The Dazu Rock Carvings include the 144 grottoes, 50,000 statues and 100,000 inscriptions found in Chongqing's Dazu district.

Begun during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) and reaching its peak during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), these extensive carvings amalgamate Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist sculptures.

The UNESCO designation was awarded in 1999. Along with the Mogao Caves in Gansu province, the Longmen Grottoes in Henan province, and the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi province — all similarly designated — the Dazu Rock Carvings are considered an essential part of the history of cave art in China.