Piyang Caves

CHINA, Tibet, Ngari

The Piyang Caves are approximately 40 km northwest of Toling Monastery in Zanda, Tibet, just north of the Dunkar Caves. Together, they are known as Dunkar-Piyang Caves. The Piyang Caves are believed to date to between the 11th to 13th century. The types of caves include shrine caves, vihara caves, meditation caves, and burial caves. They are divided into four areas. Area 1 is in the front of the mountain, and is distributed along a north-south axis with 433 caves. Areas 2 and 3 are at the rear of the mountain along the east-west axis and consist of 145 caves and 247 caves, respectively. Area 4 is at the top of the mountain and consist of 37 caves. Numerous other caves scattered around the mountain remain unnumbered, so the total number of caves may be up to 1,000. The Dunkar-Piyang Caves were listed as a Provincial Culture Heritage Site in 1996.
The murals in the caves feature images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vidyarajni, Tara and other female deities, the heavenly beings, patriarchs, Dharma protectors, donors, scenes from the Life of the Buddha, mandalas, and decorative patterns utilizing animals and plants. Portraits of Kadampa monks are featured in Cave 351 of Area 1. Portraits of the five Sakya school patriarchs are found in Cave 32 of Area 4. The figures typically wear long robes and capes without the shading techniques of earlier periods, consisting instead of simple lines and coloring in red, yellow, and green.
The lay people depicted in the murals have large triangular collars and loose fitting robes with long sleeves, the edges of which feature wide ribbons. The clothing of these figures is similar to the Turfan nobles who are likely donors of these caves. The caves provide historians with useful information about the lives of people from that period.