China Shuts Prominent Tibetan School, Raising Fresh Concerns Over Cultural Crackdown

Chinese authorities have permanently closed the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, a respected Tibetan educational institution in Qinghai Province, ending nearly two decades of efforts to preserve Tibetan language, culture and traditional knowledge. Rights advocates say the move marks another setback for Tibetan education and cultural identity under Beijing's policies.

School dedicated to Tibetan heritage ordered to close

According to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), authorities have ordered the permanent closure of the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, also known as the Snowland Ancient and Modern Education Centre. Located in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, the institution was established in 2008 by the late Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje.

The school was founded to provide education rooted in Tibetan language, culture and traditional knowledge while also equipping students with practical vocational skills. Its curriculum included Tibetan, Chinese and English, along with training in traditional weaving, tailoring, Tibetan medicine, Thangka art and information technology.

ICT said the school's emphasis on Tibetan as the primary language of instruction conflicted with Beijing's education policy, which increasingly requires Mandarin to be the principal medium of teaching, including in Tibetan regions.

Founder faced pressure before death

Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who headed Lungngon Monastery, reportedly came under sustained pressure from Chinese authorities before his death in March 2025 under suspicious circumstances while in Chinese custody in Vietnam.

According to ICT, he drew the displeasure of Chinese authorities after refusing to organise a grand reception for Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu during the latter's visit to Golog.

Although the school had received approval from local education authorities before opening in July 2008, officials later moved to restrict its operations. New admissions were halted in 2024, though Tulku Hungkar Dorje successfully appealed to allow existing students to complete their studies.

Students mourn closure amid censorship claims

The permanent shutdown brings an end to an institution that educated more than 1,000 students over the years. Former students told ICT that enrolment at its peak ranged between 800 and 1,000 learners, including monks, nuns and laypeople.

Following the closure, ICT reported that online tributes and photographs shared by Tibetans in memory of the school have been removed through censorship, adding to concerns over restrictions on Tibetan cultural expression.

(With inputs from ANI)