Yarchen Gar - possibly the largest monastery in the world – lies in an isolated valley of China's mountainous Sichuan province. More than 10,000 Buddhist members of the sangha community says to live here in an altitude of 4,000 meters; the majority are nuns. The monastery is built around the bend of the river Changqu and is a matchless jumble of temples, Buddhist schools, and meditation huts. Only women are allowed to cross the river and walk into the peninsula housing all the nuns. Yarchen Gar is a part of the Tibetan historical region of Kham where the Tibetan culture in recent years had better conditions than in the Autonomous Region of Tibet. The pictures here are from 2018, where foreigners could still visit the place. However, since April 2019 Yarchen Gar has apparently been closed to foreigners, and it is said that many of the huts have been demolished and monks and nuns sent to so-called re-education centers (last updated September 2019).
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 Prayer flags above Changqu River |
 Kora around a sacred stupa |
 Buddha overlooks Yarchen Gar |
 Yarchen Gar |
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 The great nun temple with the golden roof (back to the left) |
 Small meditation houses adorn the slope down towards the river |
 An yakox admires the great Buddha |
 Nuns on their way to prayer |
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 The nuns stay anywhere from a few weeks to many years in Yarchen Gar |
 On the way to prayer |
 Many people in Yarchen Gar walk around with a prayer wheel |
 A nun in a good mood |
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 The Golden Stupa |
 The nuns live in very simple huts |
 The Golden Stupa |
 The prayer square in front of the monk temple |
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 Inside the monk temple |
 Inside the monk temple |
 Inside the monk temple |
 Inside the monk temple |
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 Kora around a sacred stupa |
 Kora around a sacred stupa |
 Yarchen Gar |
 The great Buddha behind the many meditation houses |
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 Visit by the family |
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 Yarchen Gar is located in a large, open valley |
 Burning incense in front of the temple |
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 The great Buddha above Yarchen Gar |
 The main street on the nun island |
 Old nun on her way to prayer |
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 Buddha overlooks Yarchen Gar from high above |
 The Golden Stupa |
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 Prayer wheels outside Yarchen Gar |
 The great golden nun temple |
 Lonely yak in the streets of Yarchen Gar |
 Meditation houses |
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 Meditation house |
 The Golden Stupa |
 Water needs to be picked up on the street |
 Young monks visiting Yarchen Gar |
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 Only a few foreigners visit Yarchen Gar |
 Prayer flag below the great Buddha |
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