Day 1 Chongqing → Anyue County → Stone Carvings → Chongqing
·morning
7:30-8:00 Meet and sign in at Exit 3B of Jiazhou Road Light Rail Station on Line 3 (look for the staff holding the yellow China-TravelNote flag) and head to the treasure town destination of this trip - Anyue
7:30-10:10 On the bus: [Ice-breaking Action] [Interactive Games] The 3-hour bus ride will eliminate boredom. The energetic tour leader will lead everyone to get to know each other and eliminate any sense of unfamiliarity.
Arrive at Shiyang Town around 10:30 and take a transfer bus to Mingshan Temple
10:30-13:00 Visit Mingshan Temple. The statues have been weathered by wind and rain for thousands of years, and there are serious signs of wind erosion. Under the dual carving of time and wind, they have a strong sense of abstract beauty. Here you can see the "shape of the wind"
We'll stop by Peacock Cave, where the statue of the Peacock King is elegant and well-preserved. Halfway up the hill behind the cave are the ruins of the Tang Dynasty Baoguo Temple, where a high-pedestal stone pagoda with sutras is located, a rare find among Sichuan stone pagodas. (Peacock Cave is a cultural relic protection area and is not currently fully open to the public. Please be aware that you may encounter difficulties entering.)
·afternoon
Around 2:15 PM, after lunch, we'll take a connecting bus to Pilu Cave, where you'll find the richly illustrated "Ten Refining Diagrams of Liu Benzun." The renowned "Purple Bamboo Guanyin" statue in Guanyin Hall is renowned both domestically and internationally, having been dubbed the "Venus of the East" by renowned British author Han Suyin.
Around 3:45 PM, we'll proceed to Banbian Temple, a site of typical Song Dynasty cliff carvings. The central statue, "Shakyamuni Preaching," is particularly iconic, featuring the "Smiling Buddha Holding a Flower."
Around 4:30 PM, we'll board a connecting bus to Shiyang Town for the return bus.
We'll arrive in Chongqing around 7:00 PM and disband at Jiazhou Road, concluding our day of leisure. Disbanding times are for reference only.
