Demchog Monastery Cave

CHINA, Tibet, Ngari

Located in Rutog county, Ngari, this cave faces west and was excavated around the 11th to 12th century from a gravel cliff about 10 m in height. The cave has a vaulted ceiling and measures 3.4 m wide, 3 m high, and 3.5 m deep. There are no extant sculptures within the cave, and most of the murals have faded. There are illustrations of lotuses on the ceiling. All of the walls have murals with distinct upper and lower registers featuring a mandala and disciples wearing wide-brimmed hats and long-sleeved coats with upturned triangular collars. The walls to the sides of the entrance differ in that they depict scenes of music and dance, with three dancers in a row wearing long robes and high boots. The lower parts of the entrance contain illustrations of the hell and hungry ghost realms, where beings are tortured by knives and burnt by fire.