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New Delhi : China has permanently shut down the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, one of Tibet’s most prominent educational institutions, in a move rights groups say marks a fresh assault on Tibetan language, culture and identity.
Founded in 2008 by respected Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the school—also known as the Snowland Ancient and Modern Education Centre—had spent nearly two decades promoting Tibetan language, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage in Qinghai Province’s Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
According to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), authorities ordered the institution’s permanent closure as Beijing continues to expand policies mandating Mandarin as the primary language of instruction, even in traditionally Tibetan regions.
The closure comes months after the death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who reportedly died under suspicious circumstances while in Chinese custody in Vietnam in March 2025 after facing prolonged official pressure.
Rights advocates say the move is the latest step in Beijing’s broader campaign to erode Tibetan cultural and linguistic identity through tighter control over education.
