Encountering Nepal: A Chinese photographer's trip to his dream destination

I came to know about Nepal around 9 years ago when I had a chance to travel to this small but attractive country for the first time.

Nepal, surrounded by the Himalayas, is a south Asian country particularly well-known for its awe-inspiring natural landscapes and rich Buddhist culture. To be honest, I had dreamed of Nepal several times, even before that very first trip to this land. In my eyes, it is a genuine paradise to anyone who loves photography, travel and wild nature in general.

Xia Yan, the author, is a traveler and photographer from Yunnan.

A chance started to come to me in late 2014. In that year, I began a trip with a couple of friends of mine. We kicked off our journey in Kunming and then went northwestward to Tibet by driving a jeep. When we were planning this trip, a friend said to me that we probably could go down to Nepal later. “Yes, we could definitely arrange a visa-free tour to Nepal,” I said excitedly. So, when we left Kunming, every one of us took the passport. We knew that we would be visiting this Buddhist country that we all had been longing for.

After traveling around in Tibet for over two weeks, we drove to Zhangmu, a main land port of entry between China and Nepal. It was a small but bustling place, as I saw trucks, cars and people from the both countries came and go all day long. Instead of driving all the way to Katmandu, Nepal’s capital city, we decided to leave our jeep in Zhangmu, and continue with our trip with a vehicle from Nepal. This allowed us to take our time and visit several temples and historic relics along the way.

Just about 6 months later, Nepal was hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Hundreds and thousands of houses and buildings, including many ancient architectures were taken down suddenly. I was shocked when I saw the news on TV. I felt really grieved for the sufferings brought by this natural catastrophe, particularly when all my memories about Nepal came back to me.  

A temple in Katmandu, Nepal's capital city.

During my travel in Nepal, I was impressed by the local hospitality offered by hostels, restaurants and shop owners and many more. We were even invited to visit a number of local families. When hot tea, dishes and desserts where brought out from the kitchens, we sincerely felt the warmth and friendliness that every person showed to us.

Nepal is a mountainous state with diverse geographic settings. Natural wonders and cultural heritages are scattered across the country. The Himalayas, for example, are a world-renowned trekking destination. The Sagarmatha National Park is home to many of the world’s highest mountains. Lumbini has been known by people from around the globe as the Buddha’s birthplace, while the Chitwan National Park is inhabited by several endangered species, including one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers.

However, we were most impressed by the astonishing views of Pokhara, as well as the glittering tops of the temples in Kathmandu.

Nepal is particularly rich in culture. The history of Nepal can be traced back to at least 600 B.C. Over the following centuries, Nepal has been ruled by or under the influence of several powers, such as the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Licchavi Dynasty. All of these empires and dynasties have contributed new ideas and injected different energies into the culture of this country. During my trip in Nepal, I visited the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, one of the nation’s most well-preserved historic relic. I was genuinely shocked by its grandeur and unearthly beauty. This, to be honest, was a feeling that I had never experienced elsewhere.

In my eyes, Nepal is an open and highly inclusive place with the impacts of many different cultural traditions. It is this inclusiveness that has defined modern Nepal and made it a unique country that keeps luring tourists and visitors from around the world to its land. When I saw people's smiling faces, I just felt that they’re probably living the happiest life on this planet.

Boudhanath Stupa is an important Buddhist landmark for Buddhism in Katmandu.

I want to end my words by telling an old story from Nepal. It says that I young man had to climb the Himalayas before he was allowed to marry a young and beautiful princess. He asked a sage how he could possibly be on the tops of these world-highest mountains. The sage responded: “You can start with your left foot, and then the right foot.”

I would love to visit Nepal again, and begin my mountain trek soon.

Writing by Xia Yan (The author is a traveler，and photographer who works for Visual China as well as Chinese National Geography); trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong; photographs providing by the interviewee