SATV 11 March, Kathmandu: In celebration of the grand Hindu festival of Holi, Nepal Tourism Board, in collaboration with the Nepal-China Friendship Forum and the National Photojournalists Group, hosted an event titled “Lens on Nepal:100 Chinese Photographers Capturing Culture, Heritage, and Tourism.” The event, held yesterday in Kathmandu, marked a warm welcome for the invited Chinese photographers.
The event was organized to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Nepal-China friendship, as well as to celebrate the Nepal Visit Year 2025. It aimed to showcase Nepal's rich cultural and natural heritage to the world and strengthen the cultural and tourism ties between Nepal and China. The evening saw renowned photographers from various provinces of China, invited to capture the essence of Nepal through their lenses.
The welcome program was graced by prominent figures including Kalyan Raj Sharma, Chairman of the Nepal-China Friendship Forum, Pradeep Raj Onta, President of the National Forum of Photo Journalist, Surya Thapaliya, Manager of Nepal Tourism Board, and Member of Parliament Urmila Majhi, among others.
Dr. Kalyan Raj Sharma, Chairman of the Nepal-China Media Forum, emphasized that this event would play a significant role in promoting Nepal's tourism and strengthen the Nepal-China friendship. He expressed confidence that this cultural exchange would deepen ties between the two countries.
For the entertainment of the visiting photographers, renowned sitar player Dr. Durbesh Chandra Regmi and his band 'Sukarma' delivered a mesmerizing performance.
Pradeep Raj Onta, President of the National Forum of Photo Journalist, shared his excitement about welcoming Chinese photographers to Nepal, reflecting on a recent opportunity where a group of Nepali journalists had visited China to showcase their photographs. He expressed optimism that this exchange would provide valuable learning opportunities for photographers from both nations, making the stay of the Chinese photographers in Nepal a memorable one.
Surya Thapaliya, Manager at Nepal Tourism Board, expressed hope that the images captured by the Chinese photographers would inspire other Chinese tourists to visit Nepal. He highlighted China as the second-largest source of tourists to Nepal and emphasized the importance of leveraging this neighborly relationship for mutual benefit.
Member of Parliament Urmila Majhi, who has long understood the significance of photojournalism through her struggles, stressed that photojournalists would continue to play a key role in Nepal's development.
The event organizers expressed firm belief that the photographs taken by the Chinese photographers would play a pivotal role in promoting Nepal’s tourism, and they also hoped such initiatives would further strengthen Nepal-China relations.
