Coming on July 19th is the latest set of gold and silver commemorative coins from the Bank of China. Like most of China’s numismatic output, the culture of this ancient country is the favoured subject. That’s hardly surprising given China has a broad and deep range of subjects to choose from – no chance of them running out anytime soon. This time around it’s the UNESCO World Heritage site on the steep hillsides of Dazu, near Chongqing.

Dating from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, five clusters of rock carvings, thousands in number, adorn cliff faces hundreds of metres long. Accompanied by inscriptions, they depict themes of Tantric Buddhism and Taoism. Famous for their quality, diversity and sheer scale, they’re widely considered to be the pinnacle of Chinese rock art. With over 50,000 statues spread over the 75 sites they are described by UNESCO as providing “outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.”

There are four coins in the range; two gold and two silver, all with different weights and designs. The 30g and 1kg silver coins take a wider view of the Dazu Rock carvings, the smaller coin especially so. Both are free of excess inscription and given over to single image, a lesson in clean design. The images that CHNGC provide are usually very average in quality, and that’s no exception here. Their coins tend to look far superior in the hand and these pair have the makings of fine coins indeed.

The gold pair are focused more on the actual carvings than the site. Both are fairly striking designs, and although I personally prefer the silver, I can certainly see why others would feel the opposite. As usual, the choice of sizes is an eclectic one, an 8g and a 150g, no one-ounce (31g), so realistically, the former is going to be in reach of far more buyers, the mintages of 30,000 compared to 1,000 reflecting that.

All told, a fine range of coins, the 30g silver being both the cheapest and the most appealing (for me anyway). The 60,000 mintage of it seems a lot, but most never leave China, so expect to hunt around for one and pay a little more tha a similar coin from another mint. We understand that all come boxed, but haven’t confirmed that yet.

Grotto art with ancient Indian Buddhism was introduced into China, after the Northern Wei, Sui and Tang Dynasties brilliant and waned.When this point must continue, the Dazu Rock Carvings culture rooted Basu, on the basis of absorbing the essence of the early grotto art on innovation, with a distinctive nationalization, secularization, life characteristics, full realization of the grotto art in China, China grotto art swan song, and Dunhuang, Yungang, Longmen Grottoes together constitute a complete Chinese grotto art history, and as a world cultural heritage “World Heritage List” in 1999.

Dazu Rock Carvings Dazu District is located in Chongqing City, is the religious Cliff late Tang, the early Song Dynasty period, the main theme of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Chan statues, the famous art treasures, historical treasure trove and Buddhist shrines, the “pearl of oriental art “he said.

Dazu Rock Carvings group has 75, 50000 Yu Zunzong teach stone statues, a total of more than 100,000 truck and inscriptions more than 10 words, which Beishan and Baoding Mountain Cliff most famous, with its mainly Buddhist statues, is the late Chinese grotto statue art.Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, Maiji Mountain Grottoes of China’s four famous grottoes, is a manifestation of the ancient Han working people of exceptional talent and artistic creativity.

Dazu Rock Carvings time span from the 9th century to the 13th century, with its high artistic quality, themes rich and varied visitors, from religious to secular, reflecting the Chinese daily social life of the period, this period proved Buddhism, Taoism and harmony situation of Confucianism, known as the 9th century to the mid-13th century grotto art gallery.

July 2016, China People’s Bank issued a world heritage – the Dazu Rock Carvings gold and silver commemorative coins, contemporary design perspective to re-examine, transfer Dazu Rock Carvings artistic charm to craft and read of modern coinage, showing ancient little ingenuity, and looking through communication with the collision of ancient and modern craftsmen, ingenuity, so that Chinese grotto art swan song in Chinese modern coins hear again sonorous.

30g SILVER REVERSE: pattern to the back of the Dazu Rock Carvings “Baoding Mountain” as the motif, and published “Dazu Rock Carvings · Baoding Mountain” characters and denominations. Baoding Mountain stone statues large-scale, spectacular weather, and long live the cliff top floor, the Dazu Rock Carvings are all representative and typical landscapes. By Shenyang Mint Co. design. Back of the bottom surface of the main pattern Baoding Mountain stone statues and Viva floor of a multi-layered combination of cliff top sandblasting effect, highlighting its grand and spectacular; “Dazu Rock Carvings · Baoding Mountain” kanji sand blasting effect, Denomination use of anti-blast effect.

1kg SILVER REVERSE: Mount Baoding in Dazu Rock Carvings 11th niches “Nirvana Buddha shrines map” style theme pattern, and published “Dazu Rock Carvings · Nirvana Buddha shrines map” characters and denominations. Nirvana Buddha shrines Pictured Dazu Rock Carvings of the most representative and typical of the most magnificent statues of a Song. Designed by Shanghai Mint Co., Ltd. Back of the bottom surface of the mirror, the main pattern Dazu Rock Carvings Mount Baoding 11th niches “Nirvana Buddha shrines map” style multi-level blast effect; “Dazu Rock Carvings · Nirvana Buddha shrines map” Chinese characters using spray sand effect, the use of anti denomination sandblasting effect.

8g GOLD REVERSE: back patterns to Dazu Rock Carvings Beishan No. 136 runner Sutra Cave “Sun and the Moon Goddess of Mercy” for the statues head motif, and published “Dazu Rock Carvings · Sun and the Moon Goddess of Mercy” characters and denominations. Sun Moon Guanyin statues of Dazu Rock Carvings in the Southern Song Dynasty representative carved statues, called for the pinnacle of the art of Dazu Rock Carvings. By the Shenzhen Guobao Mint Co. design. Back with the bottom surface of the mirror, the main pattern Dazu Rock Carvings Beishan No. 136 runner Sutra Cave “Sun and the Moon Goddess of Mercy” head statues multi-level sandblasting, anti-blast effect; “Dazu Rock Carvings · Sun and the Moon Goddess of Mercy” and Chinese characters Denomination sand blasting effect.

150g GOLD REVERSE: back patterns to Dazu Rock Carvings Mount Baoding eighth niche “Avalokitesvara” Posing as a motif, and published “Dazu Rock Carvings · Avalokitesvara” characters and denominations. Dazu Rock Carvings Avalokitesvara, known as China’s largest collection of sculpture, painting, paste in one of the carved stone statues, the Dazu Rock Carvings in one of the most typical representative statues. Chengdu Banknote Printing Co., Ltd. by the design. Back of the bottom surface blasting, the main pattern Dazu Rock Carvings Mount Baoding eighth niche “Avalokitesvara” statues sand blasting, anti-blast effect; “Dazu Rock Carvings · Avalokitesvara” using Chinese characters and denominations do highlights.

COMMON OBVERSE: National Emblem of the People’s Republic of China, and published country name, reign. The set of commemorative coins common front with the bottom surface blasting, the main pattern of sand blasting, anti-blast effect, the highlight of the interior do standard emblem, country name and year using anti-blast effect.