Restoration of 9-storey palace begins

Kathmandu, Aug. 15: The restoration of the nine-storey palace at the Basantapur Durbar Square started Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang jointly inaugurate the restoration project of the UNESCO World Heritage Site amid a function organised at Basantapur’s Mul Chowk.

The historic building was partially damaged in the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015. It was built by king Prithvi Narayan Shah after his conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1779, and displays craftsmanship of the time.

Governments of Nepal and China had exchanged Notes on January 10 and 29, 2016 where Chinese government agreed to undertake the restoration project.

According to Bhesh Narayan Dahal, Director General of the Department of Archaeology, the project will be completed in about 5 years at the cost of 10 million RMB.

The project includes conservation and restoration of noumenon of historical buildings, restoration of the architecture damaged in the earthquake and courtyard drainage, security protection engineering of historical relics and exhibition and utilisation engineering of the relics.

The project document says that during the implementation of the project, Nepalese technicians would be trained and exchanged.

“The construction standard should meet the relevant requirements for restoration and conservation project of world cultural heritage,” read the document.

Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage is supporting the project and Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage under the Agency for International Economic Cooperation is managing the restoration works.

Addressing the commencement ceremony of the restoration project, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jitendra Narayan Dev thanked China for the support and said that the two neighbours had centuries-old friendship and tradition of cultural exchanges.

“Our relationship is shaped with friendship, mutual understanding and cultural ties. China extended great support to rescue and relief operations after the earthquake hit the nation,” he said.

Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Yu Jianhua, said that the visit of the Vice-Premier Wang would take the bilateral relations between Nepal and China to higher level.

“The 9-storey palace is a historical and cultural treasure so we feel proud to contribute in the restoration of the heritage,” he said.

China is also supporting in the reconstruction of the Nuwakot Palace in Bidur Municipality of Nuwakot district.