Caves with extensive wall paintings were discovered at remote Dungkar (4250m; N 31°40.638’, E 079°49.471’) approximately 40km northeast of Zanda, during the early 1990s. At around 1100 years old, the cave paintings are possibly the oldest in Ngari and have much in common stylistically with the Silk Road cave murals of Dunhuang in China (particularly in their almost cartoon style, and the flying apsaras, painted on a blue background).
There are three main caves in a side valley before the main village, of which the best preserved is the mandalacave. You need to have an interest in early Tibetan and Silk Road art for the trip to be worthwhile. Lovely nearby Dungkar village also has a ruined monastery above the town.
A couple of kilometres west, the village of Piyang (4180m; N 31°40.962’, E 079°47.784’) is also worth the small detour. It lies at the foot of a large ridge honeycombed with thousands of caves and topped with a ruined monastery and two caves with fine murals.
Entry to both Dungkar and Piyang are technically included in the Y200 entry fee for Thöling and Tsaparang, though the Piyang caretaker charges an extra Y30 to enter the caves there since no money from the ticket makes it to the village.
Getting to Dungkar and Piyang is not easy. Most 4WD drivers don’t know the area and the dirt roads are poorly signposted. If you come from the Ali–Zanda road, look for the turning east, just north of a village with caves behind it, 36km from Zanda. From here it’s 9km past a stunning Himalayan viewpoint to Piyang and then another 5km to Dungkar. From Dungkar you can continue 8km to a junction, then turn right for 16km to join the main Zanda–Moincer road. From here it’s 86km to the main Ali–Darchen road. This way you can get an early start and visit Piyang and Dungkar en route between Zanda and Darchen.
