Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 14: Newly obtained photographs and video footage by Dharamshala-based media outlets showed demolition work is continuing at Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Sertar County, eastern Tibet, offering a rare visual glimpse into the latest phase of a campaign that has already affected more than 1,000 monastic residences.
The newly surfaced footage appears to show monastic residences being evicted as Chinese authorities proceed with the latest round of demolitions at one of the world’s largest centres of Tibetan Buddhist learning.
According to reports, on August 9, a monk staged a protest against the demolition by displaying a large portrait of the 10th Panchen Lama from the window of a residence marked for destruction. The portrait reportedly remained suspended for a considerable period, apparently as a symbolic rejection of the authorities’ actions. The monk was subsequently detained, according to reports, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
The reported detention of the monk who displayed the portrait of the 10th Panchen Lama adds another dimension to the latest demolition campaign. His current whereabouts remain unknown, highlighting concerns over the treatment of monks who publicly object to measures affecting Tibetan religious institutions.
The latest demolition drive comes against the backdrop of intensified restrictions at Larung Gar, which has been subjected to successive government campaigns over the past two decades. Chinese authorities carried out major demolitions in 2001, 2016, and 2019, citing overcrowding and the lack of legally required construction permits. The latest phase began on July 13, 2026, with more than 1,000 residences reportedly slated for demolition.
Founded in 1980 by the late Tibetan Buddhist master Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, Larung Gar was established in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution as a centre for the revival of Buddhist learning and meditation. It subsequently developed into a prominent institution for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as a major centre for Tibetan language and cultural education, drawing thousands of Tibetan and Han Chinese practitioners.
Its rapid growth, however, brought the institute under sustained scrutiny from Chinese authorities. In 2001, authorities launched the first major demolition campaign at Larung Gar, destroying thousands of residential structures and reducing the institute’s population by roughly half. Despite continuing restrictions, the community gradually expanded again.
A far larger campaign followed in 2016 and 2017 after a directive from the central government. Nearly 5,000 residences were reportedly demolished, while thousands of monks and nuns were expelled from the institute.
The measures prompted international concern. In February 2017, six United Nations human rights experts warned that the actions at Larung Gar appeared to constitute “concerted attacks on tangible and intangible cultural heritage” and raised concerns over violations of the cultural rights of both present and future generations.
The pressure on Larung Gar has extended beyond the physical dismantling of residences. Since 2019, Chinese authorities have progressively tightened restrictions on the enrolment and participation of Han Chinese Buddhists at the institute. In 2021, authorities reportedly introduced measures separating Chinese practitioners from Tibetan residents, further altering the demographic composition and functioning of the academy.
The latest demolitions therefore represent another chapter in a prolonged process of restructuring and curbing the religious community.
Access to Larung Gar has also become increasingly restricted, making independent reporting from inside the sprawling complex difficult. The emergence of the latest photographs and video footage consequently provides an uncommon glimpse into the continuing changes taking place within the institute.
