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Coordinates: 30°56′33″N 99°36′27″E / 30.9425°N 99.6074°E / 30.9425; 99.6074
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'''Yarchen Gar''' ({{bo|t=ཡ་ཆེན་སྒར་|w=ya chen sgar|z=Yaqên gar}}), officially known as '''Yaqên Orgyän Temple''' ({{bo|t=ཡ་ཆེན་ཨོ་རྒྱན་བསམ་གདན་གླིང་།|s=Yachen Orgyen Samden ling}}), is a<!-- -->Buddhist monastery complex in western [[Sichuan]] province, China. It lies in an isolated valley 4000 m above sea level in [[Baiyü County|Pelyul County]] in the [[Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture]]. The monastery is associated with the [[Nyingma]] tradition of [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. With an estimated more than 10,000 [[sangha]] members now, it's the largest concentration of [[bhikkhu|monastics]] in the world; the majority are female.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Yaqing Monastery, {{!}} Facebook|url = https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173239476079299.42186.143266162409964&type=1|website = www.facebook.com|accessdate = 2015-07-21}}</ref>{{Better source|date=October 2019}}
'''Yarchen Gar''' ({{bo|t=ཡ་ཆེན་སྒར་|w=ya chen sgar|z=Yaqên gar}}), officially known as '''Yaqên Orgyän Temple''' ({{bo|t=ཡ་ཆེན་ཨོ་རྒྱན་བསམ་གདན་གླིང་།|s=Yachen Orgyen Samden ling}}), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery complex in [[Sichuan]], China. It lies in an isolated valley 4000 m above sea level in [[Baiyü County|Pelyul County]] in the [[Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture]]. The monastery is associated with the [[Nyingma]] tradition of [[Tibetan Buddhism]], with both Tibetan and Han Chinese students and [[Sangha]]. While considered the largest concentration of [[bhikkhu|monastics]] in the world, the majority are nuns<ref>{{Cite web|title = Yaqing Monastery, {{!}} Facebook|url = https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173239476079299.42186.143266162409964&type=1|website = www.facebook.com|accessdate = 2015-07-21}}</ref> for which Yarchen Gar is also called '''The City of Nuns'''.<ref name=TibetWatch>Tibet Watch, ''China has destroyed large areas of one of Tibet's biggest Buddhist sites, satellite images reveal'', 01 October 2019, https://www.tibetwatch.org/news/2019/10/1/bebidukptw4lynoqcykpiilfdcauoo</ref>


Established in 1985, Yarchen Gar lies {{convert|400|km}} west of [[Chengdu]] in the Tibetan historical region of [[Kham]]. It is reported to have 10,000 monks and nuns,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinatrekking.com/destinations/sichuan/yarchen-monastery |title=Yarchen Vddiyana Meditation Monastery, Garze (Ganzi), Kham, Sichuan - China Trekking Guide, Route, Map, Photo |publisher=Chinatrekking.com |date= |accessdate=2012-06-17}}</ref> making it possibly the largest monastery in the world. [[Larung Gar]] is (or was) even larger, but is considered a monastic encampment rather than a monastery and its population has recently declined due to demolition of housing.<ref>{{citation| title = Thousands of Tibetan monks and nuns ordered to leave remote encampment | url = https://www.savetibet.org/thousands-of-tibetan-monks-and-nuns-ordered-to-leave-remote-encampment/}}</ref> Many of the displaced monks and nuns from Larung Gar have been relocating to Yarchen Gar.
Established in 1985, Yarchen Gar lies {{convert|400|km}} west of [[Chengdu]] in the Tibetan historical region of [[Kham]]. It is reported to have 10,000 nuns and monks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinatrekking.com/destinations/sichuan/yarchen-monastery |title=Yarchen Vddiyana Meditation Monastery, Garze (Ganzi), Kham, Sichuan - China Trekking Guide, Route, Map, Photo |publisher=Chinatrekking.com |date= |accessdate=2012-06-17}}</ref> The [[Larung Gar Buddhist Academy]] in [[Larung Gar]] was even larger, but is considered a monastic encampment with several institutes rather than a formal monastery. Its population has recently declined due to the massive demolition of monk's and nun's residences by Chinese authorities<ref name=Tibet/><ref>Save Tibet, 20 June 2001{{citation| title = Thousands of Tibetan monks and nuns ordered to leave remote encampment | url = https://www.savetibet.org/thousands-of-tibetan-monks-and-nuns-ordered-to-leave-remote-encampment/}}</ref> and the resulting forced displacements. While some of the displaced monks and nuns from Larung Gar were relocating to Yarchen Gar, reports state other monks and nuns are being subject to widespread arrests, internment camps, re-education centers, and homelessness.<ref name =Tibet> Radio Free Asia, ''Tibetan Nun Expelled From Buddhist Center Commits Suicide in Internment Camp'', 14 February 2020, https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/nun-02142020172455.html</ref>


Abbot Achuk Rinpoche (1927 - 2011), <ref> {{cite web|url= http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?|title=Akhyuk Rinpoche |publisher=rigpawiki.org |access-date= 2018-05-25}} </ref> was one of the senior-most Nyingma masters in Tibet and mainly practiced [[Dzogchen]]. He taught in both Tibetan and Chinese and attracted students from all over China. The community also draws visitors seeking to be cured of illnesses.
Yarchen Gar was founded by Khenpo Achuk Rinpoche (1927 - 2011), <ref> {{cite web|url= http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?|title=Akhyuk Rinpoche |publisher=rigpawiki.org |access-date= 2018-05-25}} </ref> one of the most senior Nyingma masters in Tibet that mainly practiced [[Dzogchen]]. He taught in both Tibetan and Chinese and attracted students from all over Tibet and China. The community also draws visitors seeking to be cured of illnesses.


As of 2018 the road to Yarchen Gar has been paved and the complex has built amenities for visitors, including a restaurant and at least two hotels, but the number of beds sometimes falls short during summer when many tourists visit. At times, foreign visitors have reported harassment and/or being forced to leave. As of late 2018, a police checkpoint at the entrance to the settlement was checking the identification of all visitors but was not preventing them from entering. Men are not allowed to enter the nuns' area on the west side of the river.
In 2018, a report states 3,500 monastic residences were demolished<ref name=TibetWatch/> as paved roads to Yarchen Gar were built, and for a complex of amenities for tourists,<ref name=TibetWatch/> which include a restaurant and at least two hotels. The number of beds sometimes falls short during summer when many tourists visit. At times, foreign visitors have reported harassment and/or being forced to leave. As of late 2018, a police checkpoint at the entrance to the settlement was checking the identification of all visitors but was not preventing them from entering. Men are not allowed to enter the nuns' area on the west side of the river.


Yarchen Gar institute was again closed to foreigners in April 2019. Throughout 2019, a large number of monastics have been forced out by the Chinese authorities, with reports of some nuns being sent to "patriotic re-education" camps. As of August 2019, a large swathe of the complex has been demolished, likely to pave the way for tourist infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite news|title = China has destroyed large areas of one of Tibet's biggest Buddhist sites, satellite images reveal| work = Free Tibet| date = 30 September 2019| url = https://freetibet.org/news-media/na/china-has-destroyed-large-areas-one-tibets-biggest-buddhist-sites-satellite-images| access-date = 6 October 2019}}</ref>
In April 2019, Yarchen Gar institute was again closed to foreigners. In May, as at [[Larung Gar]], a massive demolition of residences for nuns west of the river began and approximately 3,500 monastics were reported by October to be forcibly displaced by Chinese authorities. Reports state nuns were being beaten, tortured, sent to "patriotic re-education" camps and detained, and denied the right to wear their sacred monastic robes.<ref>Craig Lewis, ''New Images Reveal Extent of Demolitions at Yarchen Gar Buddhist Monastery'', 06 September 2019, The Buddhist Door, https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/new-images-reveal-extent-of-demolitions-at-yarchen-gar-buddhist-monastery</ref>

By August 2019, nearly half of the monastery's residential complex was demolished, then cleared and covered by grass. It's suggested that more tourist infrastructure may be planned for the demolition site.<ref>{{Cite news|title = China has destroyed large areas of one of Tibet's biggest Buddhist sites, satellite images reveal| work = Free Tibet| date = 30 September 2019| url = https://freetibet.org/news-media/na/china-has-destroyed-large-areas-one-tibets-biggest-buddhist-sites-satellite-images| access-date = 6 October 2019}}</ref> Tourism is reportedly used by Chinese authorities as another technique to disrupt Tibet's buddhist monasteries.<ref>Free Tibet, ''Tibet's Monasteries'', https://freetibet.org/tibets-monasteries</ref> Chinese military personnel stationed within Yarchen Gar and numbered at 6000 are reported to be surveiling the remaining residents.<ref name=TibetWatch/>


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==

Revision as of 14:30, 17 September 2020

Yarchen Gar (Tibetan: ཡ་ཆེན་སྒར་, Wylie: ya chen sgar, ZYPY: Yaqên gar), officially known as Yaqên Orgyän Temple (Tibetan: ཡ་ཆེན་ཨོ་རྒྱན་བསམ་གདན་གླིང་།, THL: Yachen Orgyen Samden ling), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery complex in Sichuan, China. It lies in an isolated valley 4000 m above sea level in Pelyul County in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The monastery is associated with the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, with both Tibetan and Han Chinese students and Sangha. While considered the largest concentration of monastics in the world, the majority are nuns[1] for which Yarchen Gar is also called The City of Nuns.[2]

Established in 1985, Yarchen Gar lies 400 kilometres (250 mi) west of Chengdu in the Tibetan historical region of Kham. It is reported to have 10,000 nuns and monks.[3] The Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Larung Gar was even larger, but is considered a monastic encampment with several institutes rather than a formal monastery. Its population has recently declined due to the massive demolition of monk's and nun's residences by Chinese authorities[4][5] and the resulting forced displacements. While some of the displaced monks and nuns from Larung Gar were relocating to Yarchen Gar, reports state other monks and nuns are being subject to widespread arrests, internment camps, re-education centers, and homelessness.[4]

Yarchen Gar was founded by Khenpo Achuk Rinpoche (1927 - 2011), [6] one of the most senior Nyingma masters in Tibet that mainly practiced Dzogchen. He taught in both Tibetan and Chinese and attracted students from all over Tibet and China. The community also draws visitors seeking to be cured of illnesses.

In 2018, a report states 3,500 monastic residences were demolished[2] as paved roads to Yarchen Gar were built, and for a complex of amenities for tourists,[2] which include a restaurant and at least two hotels. The number of beds sometimes falls short during summer when many tourists visit. At times, foreign visitors have reported harassment and/or being forced to leave. As of late 2018, a police checkpoint at the entrance to the settlement was checking the identification of all visitors but was not preventing them from entering. Men are not allowed to enter the nuns' area on the west side of the river.

In April 2019, Yarchen Gar institute was again closed to foreigners. In May, as at Larung Gar, a massive demolition of residences for nuns west of the river began and approximately 3,500 monastics were reported by October to be forcibly displaced by Chinese authorities. Reports state nuns were being beaten, tortured, sent to "patriotic re-education" camps and detained, and denied the right to wear their sacred monastic robes.[7]

By August 2019, nearly half of the monastery's residential complex was demolished, then cleared and covered by grass. It's suggested that more tourist infrastructure may be planned for the demolition site.[8] Tourism is reportedly used by Chinese authorities as another technique to disrupt Tibet's buddhist monasteries.[9] Chinese military personnel stationed within Yarchen Gar and numbered at 6000 are reported to be surveiling the remaining residents.[2]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Yaqing Monastery, | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  2. ^ a b c d Tibet Watch, China has destroyed large areas of one of Tibet's biggest Buddhist sites, satellite images reveal, 01 October 2019, https://www.tibetwatch.org/news/2019/10/1/bebidukptw4lynoqcykpiilfdcauoo
  3. ^ "Yarchen Vddiyana Meditation Monastery, Garze (Ganzi), Kham, Sichuan - China Trekking Guide, Route, Map, Photo". Chinatrekking.com. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  4. ^ a b Radio Free Asia, Tibetan Nun Expelled From Buddhist Center Commits Suicide in Internment Camp, 14 February 2020, https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/nun-02142020172455.html
  5. ^ Save Tibet, 20 June 2001Thousands of Tibetan monks and nuns ordered to leave remote encampment
  6. ^ "Akhyuk Rinpoche". rigpawiki.org. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  7. ^ Craig Lewis, New Images Reveal Extent of Demolitions at Yarchen Gar Buddhist Monastery, 06 September 2019, The Buddhist Door, https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/new-images-reveal-extent-of-demolitions-at-yarchen-gar-buddhist-monastery
  8. ^ "China has destroyed large areas of one of Tibet's biggest Buddhist sites, satellite images reveal". Free Tibet. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  9. ^ Free Tibet, Tibet's Monasteries, https://freetibet.org/tibets-monasteries

Geo (Indian version) Vol.5 Issue 1.

30°56′33″N 99°36′27″E / 30.9425°N 99.6074°E / 30.9425; 99.6074

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