Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Serthar, Tibet

Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy, that you can see in this picture, situated at Larung Valley near Serthar, Sichuan Province, China, was established by Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche in 1980. His main objective behind this institute was to revitalize Dharma. Some people say that another motive was to meet the need for renewal of meditation and scholarship all over Tibet in the wake of China's Cultural Revolution of 1966-76. Some more aims include  to unite Buddhists in harmony; to uphold pure precepts; to study, reflect upon, and practice the sacred Dharma; and to propagate the Dharma and benefit all beings. The academy was declared the largest and most influential centers for study of Tibetan Buddhism in the world by the New York Times in 1999.

Sertar is remote, difficult to reach and is often closed to foreign travelers. The institute sits in the Larung Valley at an elevation of 4,000 meters, about 15 km from the town Sêrtar, At present, there are over ten thousand resident monastics of both Tibetan and Han origin at the institute. One of the most surprising elements of Serthar is that more than half of those who come to study are women. In more than 30 years, the institute has produced hundreds of eminent Buddhist scholars and practitioners who in turn have founded numerous Dharma centers around the world.

The campus of Larung Gar is enormous. Houses for monks and nuns sprawl all over the valley and up the surrounding mountains. A huge wall through the middle of Larung Gar separates the monk side from the nun side. Monks and nuns are not allowed out of their designated areas except in front of the main monastery assembly hall which is common to both nuns and monks. The houses are all built in a wood style that is traditionally found in this region, and built so close together that they appear almost on top of each other.

Despite its remote location, Larung Gar grew from a handful of disciples to be one of the largest and most influential centers for the study of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. Today it is home to over 40,000 monks, nuns and lay-students.