Chinese team aids restoration of quake-ravaged cultural site
Helping to restore a dilapidated ancient architecture in a foreign country requires not only the skills to deal with technical obstacles, but also to effectively communicate to resolve cultural and value differences.
This has been Guo Qianru’s experience since 2017 in Nepal. Guo, 32, of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, leads a team helping to rebuild the centuries-old nine-story Basantapur complex in Nepal’s famed Kathmandu Durbar Square, which was designated as a United Nations World Cultural Heritage site in 1979.
A devastating earthquake in 2015 seriously damaged the complex, including the top three floors of the Basantapur Tower and parts on the sixth floor of the Bhaktapur Tower. Eighty percent of the walls were deformed and cracked, and many wooden components were damaged and scattered.
The project is the first cultural relics restoration China is assisting Nepal with.
To restore the temple’s original structure and style, Guo has to go deep into the mountains to find the right materials, visit skilled local craftsman and invite them to help repair wooden sculptures, coordinate with different authorities in both countries, manage workers and guarantee safety on the construction site.
“At first, China and Nepal had some differences in restoration approaches — we insist on the principle of minimal intervention and retaining the old appearance of the temple wall, and Nepal hopes to restore the damaged parts with new replacements,” she said.
To win over the Nepali officials, Guo’s team built a sample wall, filling the gaps between damaged bricks with mortar, which would allow her team to protect the original brickwork, structure and temple components as much as possible. Nepal accepted the plan.
Differences of opinion can be narrowed down and resolved through sincere negotiation, Guo said, adding that the Nepalis have gradually recognized China’s expertise in such projects.
The seven-member Chinese team is mainly responsible for technical guidance and construction management at the site while up to 200 Nepali workers carried out specific projects.
“During our restoration, we have gradually formed a good relationship with Nepali colleagues, which is a way to strengthen people-topeople exchanges,” she said.
After more than two years’ work, three of the temple’s four damaged towers have been rebuilt, she said, and 80 percent of the remaining tower has been restored. The remaining work should be finished by the end of the year.
Sushil Kumar Lamsal, the deputy chief of the Nepali embassy in Beijing, said Beijing’s support in restoring the Basantapur complex is a symbol of the age-old friendship between China and Nepal, for which the Nepali people express sincere appreciation and thanks.
Lamsal noted that both Nepal and China are ancient countries with a long history of cultural exchanges between them. The role of Nepali architect Arniko in China’s art history, for example, is wellknown. In the Yuan Dynasty (12711368), he designed many temples, pagodas and Buddha statues in Beijing, including the iconic White Pagoda.
The role of Nepali artisans in painting frescoes in Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves, though less known, is equally glorious, he said.
“So the preservation of the cultural heritage of our shared past is an important aspect of bilateral cooperation that carries on the continuum of our traditional friendship into the modern era,” he said.
No doubt, the expansion of cooperation in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage will help deepen trust, understanding and mutual appreciation of each other’s cultures, he added.
Guo’s experience offers an example. After working and living in Nepal for more than two years, she said, she has begun to adapt to life there and understands the country’s culture and customs.
Nepal is a country that combines religion and secular life, she said, and a little bit of “magic”. It is a country with a peaceful environment and friendly people.
Cultural heritage is the carrier of culture and the common wealth of all mankind, Guo said. She added that in the process of aiding the reconstruction of cultural relics like the Basantapur complex, China spreads its technologies and philosophy to Nepal, while absorbing the culture and religion from the country.