Larung Gar — the Larung Five Sciences Buddhist Institute — sits in a narrow valley near Serta town, roughly 200 kilometres southeast of Aba. From a hillside above, it is a breathtaking sight: thousands of small red wooden cabins covering every inch of the valley slopes, home to monks, nuns, and students who have come from across the Tibetan world to study. It is one of the most important centres of Tibetan Buddhist learning, founded by the revered Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok in 1980.
Access has been variable over the years depending on political circumstances, and visitors should check current conditions before making the journey. When open to outsiders, the valley rewards extended exploration — the main temple, the debating courtyard, and the views over the red-roofed sea of cabins are unlike anything else in China.