CHANDIGARH: The Tibetan government-in-exile also known as Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has alleged that Chinese authorities have launched a large-scale demolition drive targeting more than 200 houses belonging to monks at the historic Dza Sershul Monastery in Sershul County of Karze region eastern Tibet.
According to the CTA, the demolition is believed to have commenced on either October 25 or 26 although the exact date and extent of the operation remain unverified.
"Information received also indicates that Chinese authorities have been conducting public meetings in the locality while imposing restrictions on internet access and the flow of information. This has made independent verification of the scale of the demolitions and the current situation at the monastery extremely difficult," it stated.
The CTA alleged that Chinese authorities have previously carried out large-scale demolitions at prominent Tibetan Buddhist learning institutions. At Serthar Larung Gar, major demolitions began on July 20, 2016 at Yachen Gar, demolitions commenced on August 8, 2017, followed by another major demolition campaign beginning on July 19, 2019.
"In recent years, the Chinese government has also reportedly forced the closure of several Tibetan-language and educational institutions, including Ragya Gangjong Sherig Norbu Lobling School in July 2024. Ragya Jigme Gyaltsen Grassland Girls’ School was reportedly closed on August 27–28 2026, and Golog Tadrak Orphan School was reportedly forced to close on September 2, 2026,"’ it claimed.
Ragya Gangjong Sherig Norbu Lobling School and Golog Tadrak Orphan School played an important role in providing educational opportunities to Tibetan communities, particularly children from nomadic families. They offered instruction in Tibetan language and literature, traditional culture, Chinese language and vocational skills. These closures have further raised concerns about increasing restrictions on independent Tibetan-language education and the preservation of Tibetan cultural identity.
Founded in 1760, Dza Sershul Monastery is the largest Gelug school Buddhist institution in the Dzachuka region of Sershul County, Karze, eastern Tibet. With six colleges specialising in Sutra and Tantra studies, it serves as a major centre of Buddhist learning and spirituality for surrounding nomadic communities. It is renowned for its rigorous philosophical education and authority to confer the Geshe degree, the highest academic qualification in Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery’s population was reported at around 500 in 2012, while more recent estimates place the number of monks at over 1,200.
Sometimes described as a “museum” of Tibetan Buddhism, Dza Sershul Monastery preserves valuable sacred relics and religious artefacts, including a relic attributed to Tsongkhapa, preserving sacred traditions linked to Gautama Buddha and the ancient Nalanda University in India, with a history spanning over 2,000 years. Its most prominent treasure is a 19-metre-tall, gilded copper statue of Maitreya Buddha (Jampa), the Future Buddha, reputed to be the second-largest Maitreya statue in the Tibetan regions, after the one at Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.
Beyond its religious and educational functions, the monastery operates a Tibetan medical hospital and an elderly care home serving local communities. During the 2010 Yushu earthquake, more than 900 monks reportedly participated in rescue and relief efforts, demonstrating the monastery’s wider role in humanitarian assistance and community welfare.
