By Prof. Dr. He Hongmei and
Dr. Zhao Kejing
Across the vast expanse of the Asian continent, the majestic and magnificent Himalayas were once viewed by the world as a natural geographic barrier. Yet, throughout thousands of years of history, the Roof of the World has never blocked the deep friendship and intellectual exchange between the neighboring nations of China and Nepal. On the contrary, with the mountains acting as a bond and ancient trails serving as veins, the two countries have looked past the daunting heights to understand and support one another, together writing an immortal chapter of civilizational dialogue and enduring legacy.
I. Historical Footprints: Ancient Trails Endure, Carrying the Torch of Civilization
The friendly exchanges between China and Nepal trace back to antiquity. The earliest bonds were forged by generations of monks, scholars, and artisans who measured the vast landscapes with their footsteps. This thousand-year-old ancient trail was not only a commercial trade route for exchanging goods but also a grand cultural corridor where ideas merged, art was nurtured, and philosophies were shared.
At the beginning of the fifth century, the eminent Nepalese monk Buddhabhadra traveled thousands of miles east to China, arriving in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing), the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Side by side with the renowned Chinese monk Faxian, he translated sacred scriptures and propagated Buddhist teachings. This pioneering endeavor inaugurated the history of religious exchange and philosophical mutual learning between China and Nepal, laying a rock-solid foundation for the integration of both civilizations.
Centuries later, during the Tang Dynasty, the master monk Xuanzang journeyed west in search of Buddhist teachings. He made a special pilgrimage to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, leaving behind detailed and invaluable written records in his travelogue, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions. These precious historical materials have not only become core evidence for later generations to verify the ancient history of South Asia and trace the origins of Buddhist civilization, but they have also deeply engraved the holy site of Lumbini into the cultural memory of the Chinese people, serving as a spiritual symbol of the civilizational bond between the two nations.
In the realms of art and architecture, the nourishment and influence of Nepalese civilization on Chinese aesthetics remain timeless and indelible. During the Yuan Dynasty, Araniko, a genius artisan from Patan, Nepal, led a team of craftsmen to China to share their artistry and teachings. He seamlessly integrated Nepal’s exquisite statue-making craftsmanship, unique red-brick architectural techniques, and delicate woodcarving aesthetics into the art style of the Central Plains. Under his direction, the White Dagoba at Miaoying Temple in Beijing was built. Standing tall for hundreds of years through the washing of time and the weathering of elements, this ancient white tower is not only a classic cultural landmark of Beijing but also the ultimate testament to artistic fusion and shared craftsmanship between China and Nepal.
II. Contemporary Echoes: Joint Cultural Preservation and Deepening People-to-People Bonds
In the modern era, as China and Nepal work together to build the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, the mutual learning between the two civilizations is no longer confined to the echoes of a thousand-year history; instead, it has materialized into vibrant, pragmatic, and continuously deepening contemporary cooperation. The mutual cherishing and safeguarding of each other’s cultural heritage is the most vivid manifestation of how the two civilizations understand, appreciate, and empower one another.
In 2015, Nepal was struck by a devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake that severely damaged numerous world-class cultural heritage sites, leaving the Nine-Storey Temple complex—a core landmark of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square—collapsed and in ruins. In that time of crisis, a team of Chinese cultural relic restoration experts rushed to Nepal’s aid to work shoulder-to-shoulder with local Nepalese artisans. Adhering to the preservation principles of “minimal intervention, restoring the old to look old, and inheriting ancient methods,” both sides meticulously and rigorously carried out the restoration.
The project officially commenced in August 2017. Overcoming a myriad of challenges—including pandemic-related shutdowns, mountainous construction conditions, a lack of historical documents on the ancient structures, and monsoon rain disruptions—the team spent nearly eight years of dedicated craftsmanship on the restoration. Throughout the process, the project employed over 80 local Nepalese woodcarving and masonry artisans, completed the supplemental carving and fitting of over 3,700 ancient structural components, and achieved an 85% utilization rate of old materials, thereby maximizing the preservation of the traditional Newari architectural styles and ancient crafts. Through years of masterful restoration, the Nine-Storey Temple fully re-emerged and was revitalized in 2024. The rebirth of this ancient structure is not only the resurrection of a cultural treasure, but also a deep fusion of contemporary preservation techniques, craftsmanship, and cultural philosophies between China and Nepal, standing as a living template of mutual assistance and civilizational coexistence.
Today, civilizational mutual learning between China and Nepal has transcended historical narratives. It has taken root in everyday lives through regularized, large-scale people-to-people exchanges, forming a multi-sectoral and all-encompassing cooperation pattern. At the Buddhist holy site of Lumbini, the bells of the Zhonghua Chinese Temple intertwine with the chanting from temples of various nations, playing a melodious symphony of peaceful coexistence.
Cultural and tourism exchanges are the most direct and vibrant expressions of the bond between the two peoples. China has consistently ranked as Nepal’s second-largest source of foreign tourists. Every year, a massive influx of Chinese tourists travels to core cultural and tourism destinations like Pokhara, Chitwan, and Lumbini to deeply experience Nepal’s snow-capped landscapes, folk cultures, and sacred Buddhist sites. This has effectively boosted revenue and created jobs across the entire tourism industry chain, including local hotels, dining, homestays, and outdoor travel.
III. Transcending Geopolitics: Building a Paradigm Together
Civilizations remain evergreen through innovation and shine brightly through coexistence. As the integration of bilateral infrastructure continues to deepen, the Himalayas have shed their label as a “geopolitical barrier” and have instead become a bond of cooperation and a bridge of friendship that connects China and Nepal while bridging the north and the south.
The millennium-long journey of mutual learning between Chinese and Nepalese civilizations sets an excellent paradigm for exchanges among world civilizations: countries of different sizes, distinct systems, and diverse cultures can fully achieve a beautiful landscape of honoring one’s own beauty while appreciating that of others, all by upholding the original aspiration of treating each other as equals with mutual respect and trust.
Standing at a brand-new historical starting point, whether it is jointly protecting the majestic grandeur of Mount Sagarmatha (Mount Everest)—the roof of the world—or unlocking new growth drivers for cooperation in green development, digital transformation, and livelihood projects, both China and Nepal will uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. Together, they will continue to play the civilizational symphony that echoes across the Himalayas, channeling a steady stream of warm, profound, and humanistic strength into building a neighboring landscape of good-neighborliness and a shared future.
Authors Prof. Dr. He Hongmei, is the Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, China; and Dr. Zhao Kejing Minzu is associated with the University of China.
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