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Larung Gar: Destruction and Construction At Once

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Nuns study on the staircase whi... thousands of monks.

1 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Nuns study on the staircase while waiting for the lecture to commence at Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

In early morning, smoke rises f...th tens of thousands of monks.

2 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

In early morning, smoke rises from red log cabins in the hill. Larung Gar is the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world, with tens of thousands of monks.

Red log cabins inhabited by mon...th tens of thousands of monks.

3 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Red log cabins inhabited by monks cover the hillside. Larung Gar is the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world, with tens of thousands of monks.

Nuns wait for the lecture to co...th tens of thousands of monks.

4 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Nuns wait for the lecture to commence outside the temple. Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks chanting scripture in the...th tens of thousands of monks.

5 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks chanting scripture in the prayer hall. Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks chanting scripture in the...th tens of thousands of monks.

6 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks chanting scripture in the prayer hall. Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks and nuns pass by staircas... thousands of monks.

7 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks and nuns pass by staircase. Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks walks through debris. The...ses and other infrastructures.

8 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks walks through debris. The red houses in the distant once covering the hillside were divided by fire resistant staircases. Since 2016, the Chinese government has been wanting to limit the number of monks at the Buddhist institute through demolishing monks’ residences. The cleared space is used for constructing fire resistant staircases and other infrastructures.

A monk paints his house. Red lo... thousands of monks.

9 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

A monk paints his house. Red log cabins inhabited by monks cover the hillside at Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

After snowfall, monks pass by d...by tens of thousands of monks.

10 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

After snowfall, monks pass by disordered red log cabins. Larung Gar, founded in 1980 by an influential lama and started out with only 30 students, but is today the most well-known and the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world, inhabited by tens of thousands of monks.

Monks walk along the dusty road...being reconstructed.

11 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks walk along the dusty roads. At Larung Gar, old residences are being demolished and urban infrastructure being reconstructed.

Nuns wait for the lecture to co...ith tens of thousands of monks.

12 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Nuns wait for the lecture to commence outside the temple. Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks walk along the dusty road...being reconstructed.

13 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks walk along the dusty roads. At Larung Gar, old residences are being demolished and urban infrastructure being reconstructed.

Red log cabins inhabited by mon...th tens of thousands of monks.

14 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Red log cabins inhabited by monks cover the hillside. Larung Gar is the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world, with tens of thousands of monks.

Monks paint their houses. At La...iring their cabins.

15 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Monks paint their houses. At Larung Gar, monks spend most of their weekends repairing their cabins.

A monk passes by debris along t...nation of Chinese authorities.

16 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

A monk passes by debris along the road. The demolition started in summer 2016 forbid foreigners from accessing the area, resulting in worldwide condemnation of Chinese authorities.

A young monk looked from the wi...etween human and the divinity.

17 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

A young monk looked from the window at the butter lamp that was lit by believers. Every morning, local Tibetans come to the temple and light butter lamps to worship the divinity. In Tibet, lighting butter lamps is considered a way of communication between human and the divinity.

A monk passed by a newly built ... original architectural style.

18 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

A monk passed by a newly built living quarter, which is a modern building modeled after the traditional Tibetan style. The new living quarter eliminates fire hazards, but it is very different from the original architectural style.

Vultures come to feed upon corp...acrifice almsgiving".

19 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Vultures come to feed upon corpse. In early afternoons, on a hill near the Larung Buddhist Institute, tourists gather to watch the sky burial in which bodies of the deceased are offered to vultures to prey upon. Such ceremony is practiced by some Tibetans as an extreme type of Buddhist's "self-sacrifice almsgiving".

Tourists on the hillside wait t...acrifice almsgiving".

20 of 20 © 2024 JIAN LUO

Tourists on the hillside wait to watch the sky burial and vultures hovering in the sky wait to be fed. In early afternoons, on a hill near the Larung Buddhist Institute, tourists gather to watch the sky burial in which bodies of the deceased are offered to vultures to prey upon. Such ceremony is practiced by some Tibetans as an extreme type of Buddhist's "self-sacrifice almsgiving".

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Thumbnail of Nuns study on the staircase whil_f thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of In early morning, smoke rises fr_ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Red log cabins inhabited by monk_ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Nuns wait for the lecture to com_ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks chanting scripture in the _ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks chanting scripture in the _ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks and nuns pass by staircase_f thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks walks through debris. The _ases and other infrastructures.

Thumbnail of A monk paints his house. Red log_f thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of After snowfall, monks pass by di_ by tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks walk along the dusty roads_ being reconstructed.

Thumbnail of Nuns wait for the lecture to com_with tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks walk along the dusty roads_ being reconstructed.

Thumbnail of Red log cabins inhabited by monk_ith tens of thousands of monks.

Thumbnail of Monks paint their houses. At Lar_airing their cabins.

Thumbnail of A monk passes by debris along th_mnation of Chinese authorities.

Thumbnail of A young monk looked from the win_between human and the divinity.

Thumbnail of A monk passed by a newly built l_e original architectural style.

Thumbnail of Vultures come to feed upon corps_sacrifice almsgiving".

Thumbnail of Tourists on the hillside wait to_sacrifice almsgiving".

Public Project

Larung Gar: Destruction and Construction At Once

Copyright JIAN LUO 2024

Updated Feb 2021

Topics Buddhism, Documentary, Editorial, Essays, Freedom, Human Rights, Lifestyle, Photography, Photojournalism, Religion, Travel

Larung Gar is known to be the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world. The institute founded in 1980, home to thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns, lies on the side of a mountain in Sertar County in Eastern Tibet. Since summer 2016, Larung Gar has attracted a great deal of worldwide attention because of the large-scale demolition project issued by the Chinese government, thus becoming a no-go area for all foreigners. The goals behind the destruction of this site are the reduction of the number of residents and the transformation of this influential Buddhist Institute into a touristic destination.

International debate has moderated the brutal demolition, but the renovation of the institute continues: the city center is occupied by a new high-end hotel; the houses connecting to the mountains are divided by large fire resistant staircases; the roads are rebuilt and the tourist facilities are perfected ... the entire urbanization of the institute transforms religion into a trump of tourism.

Meanwhile, monks and nuns are getting used to living in the middle of bulldozers and debris. Because of the rustic living conditions, housing repairs often occupy all their weekends: reinforcements, paintings, shopping for building materials ... They simply hope to have a relatively comfortable shelter to practice asceticism.

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