V. Effective Safeguards for the Freedom of Religious Belief

The Party's policy of freedom of religious belief is rigorously applied in Xizang, and efforts have been made to ensure that religions in China conform to China's realities and remain compatible with socialist society. The legal safeguards for freedom of religious belief are constantly being improved, and religious amity, social harmony and ethnic unity are consistently promoted throughout the region.

- Religious activities are carried out in accordance with the law.

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China safeguards Chinese citizens' freedom of religious belief. The revised Regulations on Religious Affairs strengthened the protection of citizens' freedom of religious belief and the legal rights and interests of religious society. Tibetan Buddhism, Islam and Catholicism have coexisted with other religions in Xizang for generations. The region is home to over 1,700 sites for the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and approximately 46,000 Buddhist monks and nuns. There are four mosques and about 12,000 native Muslims, and one Catholic church with over 700 believers. 

Xizang allows religious groups to manage their own affairs independently; it protects lawful activities while banning the unlawful, containing extremism, resisting interference, and punishing crime. The region manages religious affairs in accordance with the law. The Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Implementing the Regulations on Religious Affairs and Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region on the Management of Major Religious Activities have been implemented to safeguard the order of religious society. 

All normal religious activities are carried out by religious groups or individuals of their free will, and no organization or individual may interfere with them. Ordinary believers commonly have a scripture room or a Buddhist shrine at home. In Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, traditional religious activities such as learning scriptures, debate, initiation as a monk or nun, abhisheka (empowerment ceremony), and self-cultivation are regularly practiced, and examination on scriptures and subsequent promotion in academic degrees are also held in monasteries on a regular basis. Over 1,700 religious and folk activities, including the Shoton Festival, Butter Lamp Festival, Saga Dawa Festival, and religious walks around lakes and mountains, take place as customary. Lawful religious activities are under effective protection, and every effort is made to satisfy the religious needs of believers.

- The reincarnation of living Buddhas is carried out in an orderly manner based on clear rules.

The central government and governments at all levels in Xizang fully respect the tradition of reincarnation of living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism. They strictly follow the Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism and manage the process in accordance with the law. Under the guidance of Buddhist groups, the succession of living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism is carried out in accordance with religious rituals and historical conventions. In 2016, an online system was launched to facilitate obtaining information about living Buddhas, allowing users to find out more about religious figures in China. By 2024, 93 newly reincarnated living Buddhas had been approved and recognized. The legitimacy and credibility of the reincarnation of living Buddhas is under effective safeguards.

- Sites for religious activities have been significantly renovated and upgraded.

Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, cultural relics, and historical sites are under effective protection in accordance with the law, and the quality of public services at sites for religious activities continues to improve. Branch libraries and ICH centers, ancient book libraries, and cultural relics exhibition halls have been set up in 14 temples and monasteries, including the Talung Monastery and Tsurphu Monastery. Since 2011, dormitories for monks and nuns in monasteries and temples have undergone unified maintenance and renovation, and nursing homes have been built at these sites to provide medical services. Over 98 percent of monasteries and temples now have access to roads, telecommunications, electricity, water, radio and television. Study and living conditions for monks and nuns continue to improve with better infrastructure.

- Social security for religious personnel is further improved.

All monks and nuns in the Xizang Autonomous Region are included in the social security system. Since 2015, the construction of medical clinics in monasteries and temples has accelerated, doctor-monks have continued to receive training, and the social security benefits for monks and nuns have risen year by year, among other social public services. The government allocates over RMB26 million per annum to cover medical insurance, pension schemes, subsistence allowances, accident injury insurance, and health check expenses for all registered monks and nuns.

- Models of religious and modern education are effectively integrated.

The Measures on the Management of Religious Schools were issued to standardize the management of religious schools, improve their quality of teaching, and cultivate more competent religious personnel. Nine Tibetan Buddhism colleges, including the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China and Xizang Tibetan Buddhist Institute, have been constructed in China with an investment of RMB920 million. The traditional system whereby Tibetan Buddhist monks learn sutras in monasteries and temples has been integrated with the three-level academic title system of modern education; 130 monks in Xizang have earned the highest Thorampa title, and over 3,000 monks are learning sutras at Xizang Tibetan Buddhist Institute and its 10 branches. Documents and classics, including the Tibetan-language Chinese Tripitaka and the "Library of Snowfield Classics" series, have been compiled and published, an electronic edition of the Tibetan-language Chinese Tripitaka has been issued, and ritual procedures, biographies, and treatises on Tibetan Buddhism have been printed as booklets to meet the diverse study demands of monasteries, Buddhist monks and nuns, and believers. Tibetan Buddhist studies are promoted and systematic research into Tibetan Buddhism continues to improve.