Barong Dance at Gunung Kawi, Tampaksiring, Indonesia, 1925 and 2016
In Tampaksiring, near Bali in Indonesia, lies a 11-th century temple complex with monuments carved into the cliff. Often compared to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, the site features the monuments of King and religious scholar Udayana and his queens, children, and concubines. Ten Gunung Kawi candi (shrines) stand in honor of their memory, nestled into niches cut seven meters (23 feet) high. The candi look like portals, but instead of leading visitors inside, there is a small place beneath each one leading to a small chamber that holds symbolic offerings. The image from 1925 shows dancers telling the mythological story of Barong. Their dance depicts Barong, a lion-ish symbol of Good. Dances often depict battles with Rangda, the symbol of Evil. Today, Gunung Kawi is still a sacred site, but it is open for public visits. In 2017, President Barack Obama visited the temple during his trip to Bali.