Tibet: China destroys 300 Buddhist stupas in Drakgo, Tibetans face crackdown

Activists have described the move as an attempt by China to hit the Tibetan religious heritage.

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, as per the Central Tibetan Administration website.

As an act of cultural vandalism, Chinese 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.

According to reports, the incidents have left local Tibetan authorities traumatised.

As per CTA, anyone attempting to share information and even talk about the destruction with the outside world faces immediate detention on charges of “leaking state secrets", showing the way China is trying to control the region.

The entire area around the demolished site has been sealed off.

Chinese officials have cynically justified the destruction by claiming the stupas were built on “government land” and violated unspecified regulations, CTA said.

The stone debris from the structure has been removed.