Beijing's White Dagoba celebrates China's 7th Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, launching cultural week on June 10, 2023. Photos: Li Hao/GT

Beijing's White Dagoba celebrated China's 7th Cultural and Natural Heritage Day by launching the "2023 Beijing White Dagoba Culture Week" at the White Dagoba Miaoying Temple in Beijing, China, on Saturday. The cultural week, themed "Conserving Cultural Heritage and Promoting Mutual Learning among Civilizations," aims to showcase the unique historical and cultural resources of the White Dagoba. The temple is renowned for being built by Araniko, a Nepalese architect, during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and it played a significant role in fostering friendly exchanges between China and Nepal.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, and the Resident Ambassador of Nepal to China, Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, sent their congratulations on the opening of the 2023 Beijing Dagoba Cultural Week via video. Shrestha expressed his pleasure at witnessing the continuous cultural and natural exchanges and collaboration between Nepal and China. He emphasized the embassy's willingness to utilize this opportunity to introduce Nepalese culture and tourism aspects and enhance collaboration in cultural heritage and conservation between the two countries.

Chen highlighted Araniko's remarkable achievements in promoting friendly exchanges between China and Nepal. At the age of 16, Araniko arrived in China with a group of Nepalese craftsmen. Over the course of 40 years, he supervised the construction of more than 10 magnificent buildings, including the White Dagoba in Beijing's Miaoying Temple. This architectural masterpiece combines Tibetan and Nepalese artistic characteristics.

Chen noted that the story of Araniko's contributions to China-Nepal exchanges is still widely revered in both countries. Araniko and the White Dagoba have become important symbols of the friendship between China and Nepal. In April 1972, the Nepalese government issued a commemorative stamp featuring Araniko holding drawings and brushes, with the White Dagoba of Miaoying Temple in the background, to honor his remarkable contributions.

Beijing's White Dagoba celebrates China's 7th Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, launching cultural week on June 10, 2023. Photos: Li Hao/GT

The Nepalese embassy in China is committed to implementing the Global Civilization Initiative through practical actions. They aim to use the White Dagoba as a bridge to promote cultural heritage protection, explore the context of China-Nepal civilization exchanges, and foster connections between the people of both countries, Chen added.

The cultural week will continue until June 16 and will feature various activities, including exhibitions, lectures, and a cultural market, presenting the rich and diverse cultures of China and Nepal. Beijing, being one of the four ancient capitals of China, boasts the largest number of world cultural heritage sites in the world. With a history of over 3,000 years, the city has given rise to numerous cultural treasures such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Badaling Great Wall.

To enhance the protection and management of world cultural heritage and effectively convey the stories of Beijing's world cultural heritage sites, the Beijing World Cultural Heritage Protection and Management Alliance was established on Friday in collaboration with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Heritage and seven world cultural heritage sites in Beijing.