China has permanently closed the Hungkar Dorje Vocational High School, a well-known Tibetan educational institution in Qinghai Province that was founded by the late Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje. According to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), the closure ends nearly two decades of efforts to preserve Tibetan language, culture and traditional knowledge through education.The school, also known as the Snowland Ancient and Modern Education Center, was established in 2008 in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Golog. He taught students the Tibetan language and offered lessons rooted in Tibetan culture and traditions. ICT said this approach conflicted with Beijing’s education policy, which increasingly requires Mandarin to be the main language of instruction, even in Tibetan regions.The school’s founder, Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who headed Lungngon Monastery, faced continued pressure from Chinese authorities before his death in March 2025 under suspicious circumstances while in Chinese custody in Vietnam. According to ICT, he had upset officials after refusing to host a grand reception for Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu during his visit to Golog. Although the school had received approval from local education authorities before opening in July 2008, it has now been ordered to cease all operations.Over the years, the institution offered courses in Tibetan, Chinese and English. Students also received vocational training in traditional weaving, tailoring, Tibetan medicine, Thangka art and information technology. Alumni expressed their sadness at the closure, saying more than 1,000 people had studied at the school. At one point, it had 800 to 1,000 students, including monks, nuns and lay people, ICT said.The ICT also said officials halted new admissions in 2024. However, Tulku Hungkar Dorje had successfully appealed for existing students to complete their training. After the school closed, online tributes and photos shared by Tibetans have been removed through censorship, according to the rights group.