Carbonate rocks, widely distributed, undergo significant alterations in their macro-scale and meso-scale characteristics and mechanical properties due to dissolution processes, which may trigger geological disasters. This study investigates Permian Qixia Formation limestone, selected as the research subject, using cylindrical thin sections prepared for experimentation. Carbonate karst dissolution experiments were conducted at varying temperatures (0°C, 15°C, 25°C, and 40°C) and solution pH values (pH = 1, 3, 5, 7) to assess the mass loss of carbonate rocks and changes in solution pH due to dissolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to examine changes in fracture and porosity of the carbonate rock and to explore the mechanism of meso-structural damage evolution. The results indicate that both rock mass loss and solution pH increase with dissolution time, while the dissolution rate decreases over time. At pH = 1, the cumulative mass loss of the sample reaches 11%, with a maximum mass loss rate of 1.3%/h. Both the mass loss rate and total loss are several orders of magnitude greater compared to conditions where pH > 3. Furthermore, the rate of pH increase at pH = 1 is significantly slower than under other pH conditions. A solution pH of 6 serves as the threshold for distinguishing mass loss characteristics during dissolution: when pH < 6, chemical dissolution predominates, whereas physical erosion dominates when pH > 6. Under identical pH conditions, higher test temperatures result in greater cumulative rock mass loss and higher post-experiment solution pH. Additionally, carbonate karst erosion exhibits beaded dissolution pores along macro-scale fractures, cystic porosity at fracture tips, and enhanced dissolution along grain boundaries at the meso-scale. The findings provide an important scientific foundation for further exploring the dissolution process of carbonate rocks.