Chongqing Day 3: Dazu Rock Carvings, Grilled Fish, Crayfish & The Ring Shopping Park

ShuTravelDiary

7 hours ago

7 min read

6 September 2026

Day 3 took the three of us out of the city centre to Baodingshan, where we spent far longer than expected exploring the Dazu Rock Carvings — so engrossed that we even skipped lunch. Thankfully, our driver had some delicious dinner recommendations for us. We rounded off the day with grilled fish, crayfish, a visit to The Ring Shopping Park, and drinks back at the hotel overlooking Chongqing’s skyline.

MIAN CHAOREN CHONGQING NOODLE SHOP (面超人重庆面馆)

We started the morning with one of my favourite breakfasts of the trip, at a noodle shop, 面超人重庆面馆, right opposite the building housing ReVia. The staff were super enthusiastically waving people in, and so we were half afraid that the place will be sketchy. But the place was crowded, with plenty of people already eating, so we decided to give it a try. I’m so glad we did!

We ordered xiaolongbao (小笼包), although these weren’t the thin-skinned, soup-filled ones I was expecting from places like Crystal Jade or Din Tai Fung. They reminded me a little of Shanghai's pan-fried pork buns (生煎包), but without that distinctly crisp, fried bottom. Whatever the precise style, they were so fragrant and delicious, especially with the chilli oil!

The red oil wontons (红油抄手) were excellent too, but my favourite was the cold noodles (凉面). We finished the whole serving despite how generous it was. We had definitely ordered more than the three of us needed.

One of my favourite breakfasts of the trip! Steamed buns, red oil wontons and my favourite cold noodles.

We wanted to try their freshly made soy milk (豆浆), but accidentally ordered bottled soya bean drinks instead hahaha. A pity, as we’d been looking forward to the fresh soy milk! Still, this breakfast was such a good start to the day.

Bottled soya bean drinks to start the morning — though we’d actually meant to order freshly made soy milk hahaha.

BAODINGSHAN (宝顶山) & BEISHAN (北山)

For Day 3, the three of us hired a private car with a driver to take us to Baodingshan (宝顶山) and Beishan (北山), two sites within the Dazu Rock Carvings. (大足石刻). We thought it would be a relatively quick sightseeing stop, but ended up spending almost the entire day at these two places

The characters ‘寶頂’ (Baoding) inscribed into the rock, alongside carved figures at Baodingshan.

The Dazu Rock Carvings are spread across several sites in Chongqing’s Dazu District and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. They are celebrated for their intricate artistry and the way they reflect Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian beliefs, alongside scenes of everyday life in medieval China.

The World Heritage plaque for the Dazu Rock Carvings. So much history behind the sculptures we were about to explore!

At Baodingshan, the carvings date mainly from the late 12th to the mid-13th century, during the Southern Song dynasty. These elaborate scenes were a way of communicating religious teachings and moral lessons through images. Beyond the impressive craftsmanship, the themes of family, kindness and human behaviour give visitors something to connect with, even centuries later.

The name ‘Dazu’ (大足) carries a lovely meaning: 大丰大足、丰衣足食, which represents a wish for plentiful harvests and enough food and clothing. Dazu was established as a county in AD 758, during the Tang dynasty. There are other explanations too: historical records link it to the local Dazu River (大足川), now called the Laixi River (濑溪河). It is also linked to a story about the giant carved foot at Baodingshan.

The scenic area has shuttle buses and sightseeing vehicles to help visitors get between different parts of the attraction. There was still plenty to explore on foot, and we found ourselves spending much longer there than expected.

A crouching stone guardian beside Yuanjue Cave (圆觉洞), with an open mouth and elaborate curls carved across its head.

A row of imposing carved figures beneath the cliff, with traces of colour still visible on their robes.

Looking up at the towering figures carved into the cliff. There was so much detail to take in!

A close-up of the monumental reclining Buddha, surrounded by smaller carved figures.

A little pavilion tucked among the greenery, with beautifully curved tiled eaves.

A peaceful pond and waterside pavilion, surrounded by trees. The grounds were lovely to wander through too.

Painted beams and layers of tiled roofs, framing a glimpse into the temple courtyard.

A leafy canopy shading the steps ahead. Such a pretty little stretch of our walk!

The entrance to Shengshou Temple (圣寿寺), its ornate archway framing the courtyard beyond.

The Dazu Rock Carvings Museum (大足石刻博物馆). Even the building itself gave us plenty to admire!

An elephant-handled vase (象耳瓶), with a delicate crackled glaze and blue accents.

Carved stone panels inside the museum, including a striking tiger relief.

A Qing-dynasty wooden screen (屏风), filled with little carved figures and touches of gold and red.

A tiny kitten coming over to investigate. A very cute distraction from our day of admiring carvings hahaha.

Timber façades, tiled roofs and red lanterns along the shopping street we passed through.

After Baodingshan, we took a short drive to Beishan (北山), another site within the Dazu Rock Carvings. The area felt more compact, so it took us less time to explore. I’d prioritise Baodingshan if you’re short on time, but if your schedule allows, Beishan makes a worthwhile additional stop.

The ornate entrance to Beishan (北山), our next stop after Baodingshan.

The heritage plaque for the Beishan Cliffside Carvings (北山摩崖造像), another site within the Dazu Rock Carvings.

We were so engrossed in touring the two sites that we ended up skipping lunch! We also hadn’t spotted anywhere we particularly wanted to eat, so we just kept exploring. Before we knew it, most of the day had gone by. If you’re planning a visit, give yourself some breathing room in your itinerary, and perhaps bring a snack so you don’t get carried away like we did.

FANG JIE WANZHOU SPICY GRILLED FISH (芳姐万州香辣烤鱼) & LAO GAN JIA CRAYFISH (老甘家小龙虾)

After spending almost the entire day at Baodingshan — and accidentally skipping lunch — we headed straight for dinner at our driver’s recommendation: Fang Jie Wanzhou Spicy Grilled Fish (芳姐万州香辣烤鱼). It was really good! There were potatoes in the dish too, which made this potato lover very happy.

芳姐万州香辣烤鱼, our dinner stop recommended by our driver. A very satisfying end to our Dazu outing!

Spicy grilled fish at 芳姐万州香辣烤鱼. So flavourful, and I especially loved the potatoes! Yums!

Our driver also recommended a nearby crayfish restaurant, Lao Gan Jia Crayfish (老甘家小龙虾). I have been meaning to try the crayfish ever since I have seen them on the Chinese short dramas. It was packed, with no seats available, but we managed to enjoy its food anyway: we ordered takeaway, and a staff member brought it over to our table at the grilled fish restaurant! We tried both the steamed crayfish (清蒸小龙虾) and the garlic crayfish (蒜蓉小龙虾). Both were super shiok and I especially like the garlic one.

Grilled fish and two flavours of crayfish sharing the same table.

We also ordered U!BRO (优布劳) beer to the restaurant from Meituan, another recommendation from our driver. It was refreshing, and the selection of fruity and tea flavours was so interesting. Grilled fish, crayfish and chilled drinks with friends was such a very satisfying end to our day.

Grilled fish, crayfish from 老甘家 and 优布劳 beer delivered through Meituan. The beer is nice and refreshing, and we ordered many flavours to try, like apple, sea salt, passionfruit, apple and longjing tea.

One thing that pleasantly surprised me was how accommodating this restaurant was about outside food and drinks. We could enjoy our grilled fish, crayfish from another restaurant, and even drinks delivered through Meituan all at the same table. Our driver told us this was common in Chongqing. I can’t say whether that applies to most restaurants, but it felt refreshingly relaxed compared with what I’m used to in Singapore, where “no outside food or drinks” signs are a familiar sight.

THE RING SHOPPING PARK (光环购物公园)

After dinner, we headed to The Ring Shopping Park (光环购物公园), known for its indoor garden. Near the entrance, we spotted a bakery with the most tempting-looking breads and bought some for breakfast the next morning. We had an early start ahead for Wulong, so this was a practical purchase too.

A bakery display that was impossible to walk past! We picked up some bread for breakfast before our early start to Wulong the next morning.

What I bought!

The indoor garden was pretty, although I found it a little underwhelming compared with the photos I’d seen on Instagram. Perhaps those beautiful angles are harder to capture than they look, umm or maybe it was just my photography skills... Downstairs, there was also a popular aquarium display, with lots of people posing for photos beside the fish tanks.

Looking up beneath the indoor garden’s elevated walkway, with greenery and a curtain of water all around us.

The Ring’s indoor garden beneath its soaring curved roof. Pretty to see in person, although I’d built up rather high expectations from Instagram.

While wandering around, we happened upon a gelato shop and stopped for a little dessert break. The prices initially felt quite steep compared with what we’d been paying for food over the past few days, but there was a one-for-one promotion, which made it a much better deal. And the gelato was goooood! A sweet way to end the evening before our early start the next day.

An impromptu gelato break! A little pricey compared with our meals so far, but the one-for-one offer made it much sweeter — and the gelato was good!

BACK AT REVIA HOTEL...

Back at ReVia, we still had some beer left from dinner, so we continued enjoying it at the hotel. Although we were staying in separate rooms, there was a communal lounge with a table and seats overlooking the city skyline. The three of us settled there to chat and finish our drinks.