The Nepali Embassy in Beijing has urged the Chinese people to visit Nepal for supporting the ongoing reconstruction initiatives.

During an event organised in the Chinese capital on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Gorkha earthquake, Nepali Ambassador to China Mahesh Maskey said, “One can visit Nepal to enjoy its natural beauty and the Nepali culture.” This would help Nepal in its bid to come out of the crisis. “Your contribution will be a part of rebuilding a new Nepal,” he added. Following an extensive coverage of the disaster by global media focusing on the destruction, most tourists have refrained from visiting Nepal. To attract Chinese visitors, Nepal has offered free visas to them. China is the second largest source destination for Nepali tourism.

Nirmal Raj Kafle, deputy chief of the Nepali mission, added that only 11 out of 75 districts and three of the 35 trekking routes in Nepal were damaged by the quake. According to Kafle, an increase in visits by the Chinese can help create job opportunities for thousands of Nepalis.

Maskey lauded the help and support extended by the government and people of China post-earthquake. China provided the highest grant support worth 3 billion RMB to expedite the reconstruction drive. Two short documentaries highlighting the situation in Nepal during and after the earthquake were shown at the event.