Yarchen Gar

Yarchen Gar, officially designated "Yaqên Orgyän Temple" (Tibetan: ཡ་ཆེན་ཨོ་རྒྱན་བསམ་གདན་གླིང་།, THL: Yachen Orgyen Samden Ling), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery belonging to the Nyingma school, situated in an isolated valley in Pelyul County, western Sichuan, China. At its zenith, it was considered the largest monastic concentration globally, with an estimated 10,000 nuns, monks, and lay practitioners. The monastery was established with the aim of preserving Tibetan Buddhist culture, particularly in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. It gained particular recognition for its substantial nun community, leading to its common appellation as the "City of Nuns," and for the practitioners' dedication to the rigorous Tummo practice during winter retreats held in individual cabins on the hillsides.

History and Demolitions

The monastery's growth and the expanding influence of Tibetan Buddhism led to it being perceived as a threat by Chinese authorities seeking to "sinicize religions." Consequently, Yarchen Gar has been subjected to extensive demolitions and forced evictions. These actions began as early as 2001 with the demolition of residences. A significant escalation occurred in August 2017, when approximately 2,000 residences were torn down, leading to the eviction of a similar number of monks and nuns. The monastery has also faced periodic closures to foreigners. In May 2019, forced removals affected around 7,000 residents, and by July of that year, at least 3,000 nuns' residences were demolished. It is believed that these cleared areas were intended for tourist infrastructure. The evicted residents were often detained in political re-education centers, subjected to patriotic exercises, and there have been disturbing reports of sexual violence against nuns and torture of both sexes.

International Response

The actions taken against Yarchen Gar and similar monastic institutions, such as Larung Gar, have drawn international criticism. In 2017, six United Nations human rights experts jointly condemned China's demolitions and evictions. The U.S. Department of State also voiced its concern regarding the ongoing destruction at Yarchen Gar and Larung Gar in 2018.