The masked dances known as Cham are performed in Ladakh in the courtyards of the Buddhist monasteries following the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. They are said to have been introduced in the early 9th century A.D. by Guru Padmasambhava, who is held in great reverence as a Bodhisattva and who assists beings on their way to enlightenment. One of the most important Tsechu festivals of Ladakh is held in summer for two days at the Hemis monastery where the bka-rgud-pa tradition is followed. The Hemis festival, now internationally known, has been held regularly from the time of Rgyalsras Mipham Tsewang Rimpoche around 1730 A.D.

After the very large thanka of Rgyalsras Rimpoche (the founder of the monastery) has been unrolled, the procession of monks enter the performance area playing pipes and holding incense pots and a staff with flags and banners. A brief comic interlude by two masked jesters with sticks follows, and these jesters who keep the audience to order throughout the ceremony.

The masked dances begin with the Tsamchot dance of the richly costumed thirteen Black Hat dancers to ward of evil forces, followed by a dance around the sacred pole by the sixteen compassionate Dakinis with metal masks and a damaru and bell in each hand to consecrate performance space. The main focus of the performance is the dance in honour of the eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava, who appears larger than life wearing a benign golden mask. A series of masked dances follow, featuring the 12 Dharmapalas; Durdag, the masters of the cremation grounds with their skeleton masks; the wrathful Gings who search out evil spirits; and the Herukas. A dough effigy signifying Adharma is cut into two before the final celeberatory dance of five heroes of the sky (namking) and five heroes of the earth (saking). The next day the performance begins again with the Tsaschot Black Hat dancers. After the worship of Rgyalpo Peher, (which may be considered as the Tibetan form of Kali) comes the dance of Maha Dongchen, the buffalo masked deity with a group of terrifying masks dance around a painted triangle mandala with a dough effigy in the centre symbolizing Adharma. The effigy is cut into two again after offerings have been made and the four skeleton mask dancers dance to wipe away the traces of the mandala. The festival ends with a mask of Laughing Buddha. The teacher and his young disciples laugh and make fun of each other and the audience to everyone`s great amusement.

The very act of watching the masked dances in the festival is believed to help one acquire spiritual merit.

The dances are accompanied by chants, damaru and drums, conches (thunkur), long trumpets (dughchen) large and small cymbals (bukja and silmyan), two reed instruments (rgya gling) and one handbell (tillu).