(Baonghean.vn) - If we asked you what a large student dormitory complex looks like, you might imagine really tall, modern apartment buildings. However, in Sichuan, China, things are a little different.
The Larung Gar Buddhist Academy (also known as Serthar Buddhist Academy) in China is home to 40,000 monks and nuns. It is the largest Buddhist academy in the world. The academy is located in a secluded area nearly 600 km from Chengdu.
When studying here, the monks and nuns are not allowed to use television, but they are allowed to use mobile phones. The living quarters of the monks and nuns are separated by a winding road running through the middle.
The academy was founded in 1980 in the wilderness valley by Jigme Phuntsok, an influential lama of the Nyingma tradition.
Photographs taken by Jesse Earl Rockwell, 32, from Santa Barbara, California, also reveal some very unique traditions in the area. These include the practice of 'sky burial,' where the deceased are placed in boats, awaiting vultures to feed on the body.
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| Thousands of houses are built close together along the hillside in China. |
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| Students come here to study, listen to lectures on Buddhist teachings, and live peacefully in this mountainous region. |
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| The academy campus and dormitories are located in Sichuan Province, China. |
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| The 32-year-old photographer's collection also captures the unique traditions of this place. |
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| The closely packed houses, with their bright colors and similar structures, are home to 40,000 monks and nuns, creating a distinctive feature in the overall architecture of this sacred land. |
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| A view of the academy from the mountaintop. The photos were taken during the photographer's six-day visit. |
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| The academy was founded in 1980 and is located at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level. |
Central South
(According to Metro)
