(TibetanReview.net, Sep17’26) – China said the 6th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, Jamyang Choephel Jampa Gyaltsen, was formally enthroned at Gangchen Monastery in Sakya County, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), on Sep 15, 2026, in keeping with his predecessor’s wish that his reincarnation be overseen by the Chinese installed “11th Panchen Lama” Gyaltsen Norbu. The Italy-based 5th Gangchen Rinpoche was controversial for his active devotion to and propagation of the spirit called Dorje Shugden (also known as Dolgyal). The Dalai Lama strongly discourages Tibetans from propitiating this spirit, which he says is harmful and sectarian, and detrimental to the Tibetan cause.
Throughout his life, the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche met with the 10th and 11th Panchen Erdenis on several occasions. During his visit back to China in 2011, he met with the “11th Panchen” Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po in Beijing and personally entrusted him with overseeing his own reincarnation, said China’s online Tibet news service eng.tibet.cn Sep 15.
He passed away in Italy during the Covid pandemic on Apr 18, 2020. He belonged to the Gelug school and founded the NgalSo Self-Healing tradition and established numerous centres around the world.
The 6th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche’s recognition and enthronement “fulfilled the wishes of his predecessor, the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, Lobsang Thubten Trinley Yarphel, and accorded with those of the monastery’s monks and local Buddhist believers.” Eminent Buddhist masters and representatives of monks and nuns across Shigatse attended the ceremony along with pilgrims and other believers, the report said.
The TAR Branch of the Buddhist Association of China was stated to have established a steering team chaired by the “11th Panchen Erden” Gyaltsen Norbu to guide the searching and identification of the reincarnated child throughout the process. Shigatse City was stated to have established a search team chaired by Nima Pingcuo, president of the municipal Buddhist Association, and composed of monks from Gangchen Monastery.
The identification of Khyung Drakpa, from Xainza (Shentsa) County, Nagqu (Nagchu) City, as the reincarnation of the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, following a drawing of lots from a silver bowl from among three candidates,was submitted to the authority for religious affairs of the TAR and received its approval. Once approval was granted, the “11th Panchen” Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po performed the child’s tonsure ceremony, administered the Buddhist precepts and bestowed on him the religious name Jamyang Choephel Jampa Gyaltsen, the report said.
The report said that at the enthronement ceremony, a representative of the TAR Religious Affairs Bureau read out its official approval of the child’s recognition and succession. The TAR Branch of the Buddhist Association of China presented him with a living Buddha certificate.
The report presented the “successful completion” of the reincarnation process as a demonstration of full implementation of the Communist Party of China’s policy on freedom of religious belief, which “also underscores the authority of the Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.”