Kathmandu, April 14: Nepal’s Ambassador to China, Dr. Krishna Prasad Oli, along with Chiribabu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and Chen Weiqiang, Vice Mayor of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, jointly inaugurated the Nepali Pavilion in Hangzhou city of Zhejiang province of China amid a special ceremony on 13 April.

In his address, Ambassador Dr. Oli emphasized the significance of the Nepali Pavilion as a platform to showcase Nepal’s rich cultural heritage, traditions, and local products in China. He underscored the special importance of the opening of the pavilion in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China. Oli expressed his conviction that the pavilion would serve as a hub for various cultural and promotional events throughout the year, further strengthening people-to-people bonds between the two nations. He also highlighted the potential for deeper collaboration between Lalitpur and Hangzhou in areas such as cultural exchange, knowledge sharing, capacity building, joint research, smart city development, sustainable urban planning, clean energy, and green growth.

On the occasion, Mayor Maharjan shed light on the uniqueness of the traditional heritage of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. He encouraged Chinese tourists to visit Nepal particularly as 2025 is being celebrated as Nepal Visit Year in China.

Vice Mayor of Hangzhou Chen Weiqiang stressed Buddhism as a shared cultural and spiritual heritage connecting Nepal and China. He conveyed his best wishes for the pavilion to utilize it as a meaningful platform for socio-cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and enhanced people-to-people contacts.

Wang Minxiang, Director of the Nepali Pavilion, affirmed his commitment to making the pavilion a symbol of friendship between Hangzhou and Lalitpur.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by approximately 100 participants, including officials from the Foreign Affairs Offices of Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou City; friends of Nepal and media.

The delegation also held a meeting with Chen Jiangfeng, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Province and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest between Lalitpur and Hangzhou, as well as broader areas of Nepal-China cooperation.

Similarly, the Nepali delegation visited the Lingyin temple and paid homage to Shakyamuni Buddha. On the occasion, the delegation met with Venerable Guang Quan, Abbot of Lingyin Temple, President of the Buddhist Association of Zhejiang Province, and a member of the Council of the Buddhist Association of China. During the meeting, they discussed the shared Buddhist heritage between Nepal and China. The Venerable Abbot expressed his happiness over the longstanding historical bonds the two countries share through Buddhist philosophy. Ambassador Dr Oli, while reflecting on the age-old Nepal-China relations, highlighted significant historical connections through Buddhabhadra, Araniko, and Princess Bhrikuti. He informed about the timeless teachings of Lord Buddha, particularly the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

The delegation extended an invitation for the Venerable Abbot to visit Nepal at his convenience, to which he graciously agreed.

People’s News Monitoring Service.