Though scarcely populated nowadays, there are some mysterious cliff paintings in Nima, Dangxiong, Shenzha and Bange counties of the "forbidden zone of life". These paintings mainly feature religious and hunting contents, demonstrating the close relationship between paintings and the local religion and history, while also boasting paramount significance for the research of Tibetan history and religion.

The first paintings were found in the Jialin Mountain, which is 5,200 meters above the sea level, of the Naqu Region of Southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region. The drawings feature cows, sheep, dogs, plowing, hunting and holding ceremonies. According to experts, there were no written records about these cliff paintings in history.

Another painting site was found in a cave of Ritu County, with the painting illustrating more than 100 people, each of them has only one leg. 

Concerning the cave's shape, a local legend goes that there one were three fairies who came to the cave and found it too low. One of them propped it up with her head. But as that made the cave too tall, the other two went on the cave's top and pressed it lower, thus forming its shape.

Author: Jeff

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