Seda Larung Buddhist Monastery, the biggest Buddhist school

Seda (色达) is located at an elevation of about 4,000 meters in a remote valley on the Tibetan Plateau, in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the western part of Sichuan province in China. The Tibetans know Seda by the name of Sertar , which means Golden Horse.

Though Sertar is located in the historical Kham region of the Garze Prefecture, it is traditionally part of the Golok region where natives speak Amdo Tibetan language. This is why Sertar is referred by to by Tibetans as Golok Sertar. The Setar region, a treeless remote valley, has gained immense popularity because it is home to the largest Tibetan Buddhist school in the world.

Seda Larung Buddhist Monastery was built in 1980. It was designed by Jigme Phuntsok, the most influential lama of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in contemporary Tibet. In 1993, the daily Le Monde deemed the monastery the biggest Buddhist school in the world.

In this valley, thousands of houses spread out over the mountain sides. All the wooden houses are with red color and used as dormitories for Lama (monk) and Juemu (nun). By the top of the mountain lie a few temples and Buddhist halls. These temples are not considered big but all in a full and even overwhelmed decoration. The most significant construction is the Temple City by the top. It is the destination of a pilgrimage that is done by many deep-faith Buddhists. It is widely believed to walk around the Temple City (Zhuanjing) and turn the wheels bring you good health and luck.

The school is run by a special committee. The head of the committee is Jigme Phuntsok, who is also the designer of the building. Students can choose from short term course, long term course, and special course. They take three years, six years, and thirteen years respectively. Before enrollment, there would be an entrance test which would examine the education level of the applicants. For those who are deemed insufficient in knowledge, they must attend a preparation course. At the end of the course, they would to an exam. Only by passing the exam, they will be admitted to the school. The education in the Seda Buddhist School ends with a Buddhist thesis and thesis defense.

 There are about 6000 students and over 100 faculties at the school. Phuntsok holds open lecture to all students at the college for two hours every day. The school also invited numerous knowledgeable people for guest lecture from many countries, as way of communication with the outside world. 

Notice:
As of June 2016, Seda region is officially closed for foreign travelers. Police checkpoint is in the town/village of Wengda, on the crossroad towards towns of Ganzi and Luhuo, and access is forbidden to all foreign travelers for the time being.