Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama: An Ideological Point of Contention between China and Tibetans

On October 15, 2020, a short documentary was televised through China’s Global Television Network (CGTN), titled “The Reincarnation of Living Buddhas: How is the Dalai Lama chosen? (活佛转世 达赖喇嘛是如 何产生的)”.

The primary message behind the documentary was rooted in both historical and political narration, i.e., the centuries-old religious institution of reincarnation of Buddhist practitioners (known as tulkus), which gained institutional significance with the establishment of the Gaden Phodrang Government of Tibet in the 17th century, was essentially validated by the Qing Dynasty and the present-day system falls under the governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC).