This book provides a firsthand account of life and social organisation in a Buddhist nunnery of the Gelugpa or "Yellow Hat" sect in the Tibetan borderlands of China. Based on field research and interviews, the book describes the history of the community, its physical premises, population and the residence patterns. The authors also describe the motivations for becoming a nun, initiation rituals, community economy and living arrangements. An account is also given of religious and ritual practices at the nunnery. The Ta Ba Lin nunnery has been designated as a key historical site by the Chinese Government. The China Exploration and Research Society (CERS) has initiated a restoration and conservation project at the nunnery to improve the nuns' living quarters an other facilities and to preserve the nunnery's historic religious art. The book contains one map, several drawings and tables, and is richly illustrated by photographs.