The demolition campaign at Larung Gar, the world's largest Tibetan Buddhist institute, resumed on July 13, 2026, according to a report by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). The report states that Chinese authorities are targeting approximately 1,060 monastic quarters belonging to Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns, with demolitions reportedly carried out during the night.
Renewed Demolition Campaign
Citing the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), the TCHRD report noted that at least six monastic residences had already been demolished by July 15, while over 1,060 more have been earmarked for demolition. This latest drive follows last year's eviction of about 1,000 monks and nuns from Larung Gar. Chinese authorities have cited the absence of proper residential documentation and announced plans to reduce the number of residences from around 6,000 to the government-mandated limit of 5,000.
According to the TCHRD report, the renewed demolitions indicate that the Chinese government's campaign against Larung Gar remains ongoing. It forms part of a broader policy aimed at reducing the institute's monastic population, strengthening state control over Tibetan Buddhist institutions, and reshaping religious practice in line with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) policy of the Sinicization of religion.
Background of State-Led Crackdowns
Larung Gar, located in Serthar (Seda) County in Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, was founded in 1980 by the late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok. The report states it grew into the world's largest Tibetan Buddhist institute, attracting nearly 10,000 monks, nuns, lay practitioners, and students from Tibet, China, and abroad. It has long been regarded as a key centre for Tibetan Buddhist learning and the preservation of Tibetan religious traditions.
However, Larung Gar has faced repeated state-led demolition and eviction campaigns for over two decades. The TCHRD report highlighted a large-scale crackdown launched in July 2016, when Chinese authorities demolished thousands of monastic quarters and forcibly evicted thousands of monks and nuns. By May 2017, authorities had demolished 4,725 residences and evicted 4,828 monks and nuns after implementing government directives to reduce the institute's population.
Impact on Monastic Population and Women's Education
The report also emphasized Larung Gar's unique role in promoting women's religious education. It established Tibet's first nunnery authorized to confer the khenmo degree—the highest academic qualification for Buddhist nuns—and has enabled more than 100 nuns to attain that qualification after years of advanced study. According to TCHRD, the institute has been an important centre of education, spiritual guidance, and social support for Tibetan women, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.
The demolition campaign has had serious human consequences. The report recalled that during the 2016 demolition drive, two Tibetan nuns, Tsering Dolma and Semgha, died by suicide amid the destruction of their residential area. Following the 2016 crackdown, Chinese authorities appointed CCP members to key administrative positions at Larung Gar, replacing the institute's traditional monastic self-governance with Party-led management.
Broader Sinicization Policy
The TCHRD report further stated that the latest demolition campaign comes amid increasing restrictions on religious freedom in Tibet under Chinese President Xi Jinping. Tibetan Buddhist institutions have faced intensified political education campaigns, heightened surveillance, restrictions on religious education, and tighter Party control under the Sinicization policy. According to the organization, the repeated demolitions, mass evictions, and restructuring of Larung Gar demonstrate that the Chinese government's objective extends beyond reducing the institute's physical size. It aims to dismantle autonomous centres of Tibetan Buddhist learning and bring them under direct CCP control.
