Emphasise on attracting Chinese buddhists to visit Lumbini

The Nepal-China Friendship Society, Lumbini has stressed on the need to attract Buddhists from China to visit Nepal and especially Lumbini in order to make the Lumbini Visit Year 2012 successful.

The Society has suggested facilitating travel by air and road, improving security and residential facilities.

At the state level, the Government should work actively towards strengthening the relations between Nepal and China, says President of the Society, Narayan Sapkota. The Government should also be committed to stopping any anti-China activities in Nepal, he added.

"If Nepal can assure the Chinese Government and people of security and other needs then the arrival of Chinese Buddhists would increase drastically and thereby it would support economic development of our country", said Sapkota.

Mr Sapkota, who recently returned to Nepal following a visit of China with the Editors' Society Nepal team, said Lumbini could be developed following the model of Hyampha temple of China.

Also a journalist based in Bhairahawa, Mr Sapkota opines that if appealed China could help in the development of Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam Buddha, the Suddhodhan palace in Kapilvastu, Devdaha, Ramgram and other areas of importance.

Nepal Government and the Nepali people can take huge inspiration from the development and progress achieved by neighbouring China, added Sapkota.

source: The Himalayan Times,7 Oct 2012