Chinese Authorities Raze Hundreds of Buddhist Stupas and Padmasambhava Statue in Karze, Tibet; Enforce Harsh Restrictions on Local Tibetans

Dharamshala: In a grave assault on Tibetan religious heritage, Chinese authorities have demolished over 300 Buddhist stupas and a revered Guru statue in the Drakgo (Ch: Luhuo) County, Karze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the traditional Tibet’s province of Kham last month, sources from Tibet report amid heightened restrictions in the region.

The destruction took place in late May or June 2025 at Lungrab Zang-ri near Janggang Monastery, where Chinese forces razed hundreds of medium-sized stupas of Tibetan Buddhism and three larger Buddhist stupas. In a brazen act of cultural vandalism, authorities also destroyed a newly constructed statue of Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, the late founder Abbot of Serthar Buddhist Institute, and a sacred statue of Guru Padmasambhava, generally referred to as Guru Rinpoche (meaning “precious master” in Tibetan). Such acts have left the local Tibetans and community deeply traumatized.

Information Blackout and Mass Arrests

Following the demolitions, Chinese authorities have imposed an iron c...