The famous Buddhist nunnery of Nepal is near Bigu, near the border of China and the Tibet Autonomous Region. It was founded in 1932 by Drukpa Rinpoche from Buthan to give women from the local ethnic groups access to spiritual and secular education.

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Today,  the monastery also operates a primary school for the children from the mountain village of Bigu.

After the earthquake in 2015, parts of the monastery and the school were rebuilt by a Swiss team of experts. The construction work continues to this day.

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Bigu is in the Dolakha district, 2,580 meters above sea level - 140 km northeast of Kathmandu.

300 nuns and students live and work in the monastery.

At the school, primary school students are taught by 5 teachers from the 1st to the 6th grade. In addition to the official Nepalese school program, the instruction includes lessons in Buddhist philosophy and practice as well as in the Tibetan language.

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As in many mountain villages, there are mainly indigenous peoples living in Bigu, Tamang, Sherpa or Thami, who are still disadvantaged in several ways in Nepal.​