Show provides rare glimpse of Tibetan culture

Legend has it that about centuries ago, Namkhagyan, a master of Tibetan thangka art, suddenly learned how to paint with a pen given by a Buddha in a dream.

Later the boy, who used to look after cows on a mountain, became one of the most famous thangka painters and his works were celebrated even in the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet autonomous region.

Ten of his works are now on display in Beijing, the first time they have been taken out from the Shouning Temple in Luhuo county in Southwest China's Sichuan province, where they have been revered by followers for about 400 years. To ensure the safety of Namkhagyan's paintings, five lamas from the temple escorted the master's works to Beijing on Saturday. They will stay with them through the show that closes on Thursday.