The Alchi Choskhor with an art historian

The Alchi Choskhor is small and easy to rush, which is why we bring a guide who knows the art. The walk from the car park passes through the village and orchards, past stalls selling apricots and prayer flags, to a modest gate. Inside are several temples, chortens with painted interiors and a small courtyard. The village around it is quiet and green, with apricot orchards and fields along irrigation channels.

In the Dukhang, the oldest hall, your guide will point out the large mandalas on the walls, the royal drinking scene with figures in turbans and long coats, and the Central Asian textile patterns on clothing. In the Sumtsek, three huge clay bodhisattvas stand in niches, their lower robes painted with tiny scenes. Look up to see mandalas covering the upper storeys. Many visitors miss these details without a guide.

The paintings date from around the late 11th to the 13th century and mix Kashmiri technique with Tibetan Buddhist subjects. Many were painted by Kashmiri artists. Photography is prohibited inside, and the light is low, so take your time and let your eyes adjust. Allow two hours, with a break in the courtyard. Afterwards, we have lunch in a garden cafe in the village among apricot trees, and you can buy a book on the murals to look at later.