Technically a "religious encampment" but in most functions a monastery, Larung Gar is one of the very largest Tibetan monasteries to emerge in China following the Cultural Revolution. Led by the charismatic treasure finder Khenpo Jikmé Püntsok, Larung Gar was established in an empty valley and underwent explosive growth in the 1980s and 1990s. Though ecumenical in many ways, the institution has had a strong Nyingma sectarian affiliation from its beginning.