Rutog Rock Paintings

Rock paintings are in fact a culture of stone inscription. Not only are they covered in colorful stone paintings; they also include stone inscriptions and relief sculptures carved on rocks and cliffs. In documenting early human culture, they are valuable for both historical research purposes and artistic appreciation. Tibet is one of the places in China in which rock paintings are the most densely distributed. Since 1985, more than 60 rock painting places have been found in Tibet, among which those in Rutog County are the most representative. According to archeologists who classify Tibetan rock paintings into three periods, the Rutog rock paintings cover the history of Tibet from the 1 st century to the early Tubo Kingdom (the 7 th century-877). Most of the paintings were carved with stones or other hard tools, whereas a few were made by applying colorful paint to the rocks. The images used in the paintings vividly represent the life of ancient Tibetans, with the sun, the moon, animals, houses, religious ceremonies, hunting and farming featuring as the most common topics. The rock paintings can easily be found around Lake Palgon and along the Xinzang (Xinjiang-Tibet) Highway.