Dachung left Tibet in 1985 when he was 5 with a large group of Tibetan pilgrims who attended Buddhist teachings in Varanasi, India. He has 2 older brothers and 2 sisters. Dachung is the youngest. His parents are farmers in the village of Tsoko in Tibet. On 2 acres of land they grow barley, mustard and wheat. They have 2 yaks and 7 cows. His brother is a road laborer.

Dachung studies thangka painting a the Vocational Training Center at the Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie, India. He is in his fifth year of a seven-year course of study. "I love doing Thangka painting. I feel happy when I paint. It's a rich tradition. In my home town in Tibet there are so few painters keeping this painting alive. In future I want to return to my home, to be a good thangka painter for my community."

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