China / Tibet

One place I’ve always dreamed of seeing is the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute. At its heart lies Seda Monastery — the largest Buddhist school in the world, standing 4000m (13,000ft) above sea level. Around 10,000 monks live and study here, in small red huts scattered across the mountainsides. Life is extremely simple. Each morning, as they light tiny fires to keep warm, smoke fills the valley while the sun rises over the horizon. Soon the streets come alive with monks in red robes heading to study. It’s a place like no other, with a strange, quiet beauty. Located in western China near Tibet, the region has been home to Tibetans for centuries. They believe that when a person dies, the body becomes an empty vessel once the spirit has gone. In some areas, the final act of respect is a sky burial — offering the body to vultures. High in the mountains, giant vultures circle and descend as families watch. To us, it may seem cruel or unreal, but these people are far from that — they are among the kindest and most peaceful I have ever met.