Separated but together : spatial strategies for Tibetan monasteries in a changing political climate

Abstract

All the parts of the thesis started with the issue which has happened in Tibet. The demolition has operated since 2016 at the important Buddhist center of Larung Gar, Sêrtar in eastern Tibet. Larung Gar Buddhist Academy is one of the world’s largest monastic institutions with a population of over 20 000 of Chinese and Tibetan practitioners. The drastic change is due to the new policy from China central government is called “Checking-up and Rectification of Monastery Area”. The policy stated that by September 30, 2017 the population of the encampment must be limited to 5,000 permanent residents. If a monastery congregates for more than five thousand people, Central Government will demolish the extra settlements without relocation and compensation. United Nations experts have condemned the expulsions of monks and nuns from this religious enclave. The problem is The Central Government using development as a mean to control Tibetan community. From 1959 till now the central government had used different mechanisms to control the Tibet Autonomous Region, including development, infrastructure, population flow of Hans and even those permanent barriers in Larung Gar. I am challenging the approach of changing the functional urban forms by those control policies towards Tibetan, since the changes are detrimental to the vernacular cultural landscapes. The thesis focuses on how the religious enclave - Larung Gar can be work with the new policy under spatio - temporal transformation. With the strategy of Liminal Zone which keeps a distance between each monasteries with productive landscapes and public areas. The analytical research brings me to understand the operation of the monastery and the spatial relationship between the monastery, the village and the county. Also the social relationship between monks,nuns, lays, villagers and visitors.