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China has permanently closed the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, a well-known Tibetan educational institution founded by the late Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje, in what rights advocates describe as another blow to Tibetan language and cultural education.
Authorities ordered the school's permanent closure, ending nearly two decades of educational work focused on preserving Tibetan heritage, as reported by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). According to ICT, situated in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, the institution, also known as the Snowland Ancient and Modern Education Centre, was established in 2008 to provide instruction rooted in Tibetan language, culture and traditional knowledge. The school's primary use of the Tibetan language as the medium of instruction conflicted with Beijing's education policy, which increasingly requires Mandarin to be the principal language of teaching, including in Tibetan regions. The school's founder, Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who headed Lungngon Monastery, reportedly faced sustained official pressure before his death in March 2025 under suspicious circumstances while in Chinese custody in Vietnam. He had drawn the displeasure of Chinese authorities after refusing to organise a grand reception for Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu during his visit to Golog. Despite receiving approval from local education authorities before opening in July 2008, the school has now been ordered to cease all operations. The institution offered courses in Tibetan, Chinese and English alongside vocational training in traditional weaving, tailoring, Tibetan medicine, Thangka art and information technology. Former students expressed sorrow over the closure, noting that more than 1,000 students had studied there over the years and that enrolment once ranged between 800 and 1,000, including monks, nuns and laypeople, as cited by ICT. Officials had initially barred new admissions in 2024, although Tulku Hungkar Dorje successfully appealed to allow existing students to complete their education. Following the latest shutdown, online tributes and photographs shared by Tibetans have reportedly been removed through censorship, as reported by ICT. (ANI)
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