A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a building at the Gaureshwar Basic School in Darshantar of Nuwakot district on Wednesday.

To be built with a grant from the Shanghai Haishan Culture Media Co Ltd, a Chinese company working with the International Scout Volunteer Group Nepal to conduct cultural exchange programmes, the facility fully equipped primarily for Chinese language instruction will be handed over to the local government after three years of operation.

Construction of the China-Nepal Language School, called the Haishan Chinese International Language Institute, marks the official launch of the second phase of the Spark Project in Nepal, according to Huang Wenqi of the Haishan Media.

Over the next three years, the Academy will provide free, high-quality Chinese language education to local children and offer financial support to students from underprivileged families, helping them complete their studies successfully.

Huang also announced the company’s plan to establish nine more Chinese language academies across Nepal—especially in regions most in need of educational resources.

Partnering with the ISVG Nepal, Haishan Media says it has identified 10 teaching sites nationwide, and is providing Chinese language instruction to over 1,050 students. Alongside supporting education, the company claims to have distributed subsidies totalling approximately Rs1.4 million to 13,349 beneficiaries. It has also provided cash and material donations worth about Rs 2 million to improve teaching conditions, support teachers, and enhance students’ lives.

The Wednesday event in Ward 4 of Tarakeshwar Rural Municipality, organised amid flat farmlands running along the Trishuli riverbank, saw the participation of students, teachers and local government representatives from Chauri Deurali, Bhumlu and Bethanchok of Kavrepalanchok district. There were also students from the western district of Jajarkot at the launch.

Jin Xiaodong, president of the Nepal Overseas Chinese Association, highlighted the fact that the Nepal-China relationship dates back centuries. Nurtured by Nepal’s cultural and artistic icons Bhrikuti and Araniko, the relations between the neighbours will soar higher with the current collaborations and exchanges, Jin said.

Speaking on the occasion, ISVG President Ajit Khadka thanked the Chinese organisation for providing the support.

Representatives from the Nepali Overseas Chinese Association, the Social Welfare Council of Nepal, the Nepal Red Cross Society, the district administration and local government agencies have pledged their support to making the programme a success.

SWC Vice-chairman Nandalal Majhi travelled to the event and expressed his hope that the collaboration will help students learn their own and foreign languages.

Ward chairman Hari Bahadur Poudel said such partnership would be beneficial for the local community.