January 23 2024- In February 2016, the author, accompanied by Raphaële and two monks from Shechen, visited the Larung Gar academy of philosophy, which was previously restricted to foreigners. The academy, located in Kham at an altitude of 14,000 feet, is the largest Buddhist university since the ancient institutions of Nalanda and Vikramashila in India. With over 10,000 monks and nuns, along with numerous lay students, the Larung Gar academy is a sprawling complex visible from nearby hilltops, characterized by rows of small student houses covering three slopes of the valley. Foreigners were permitted to visit but not to stay overnight.
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-town-devoted-to-philosophy/
