By Shristi Kafle

Nepal has gifted a 70 kg Buddha statue to China coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China.

Amid a special function organized in Yunnan’s Kunming on Friday, a sacred donation of a 70 kg gold plated statue of Lord Buddha was handed over by the Nepal-China Executives Council(NCEC) to the Yunnan Buddhist Association. The statue is placed in Yuan Tong Temple.

Addressing the ceremony, Anoop Bhattarai, Chairman of NCEC remarked that Buddhism is not only a shared spiritual heritage between Nepal and China but also a pillar of cultural diplomacy, fostering mutual respect, regional harmony, and a vision of peaceful coexistence.

“Nepal-China relations is based on Buddhism and has deep historical and cultural foundation. Building on the deep-rooted ties, both nations can further strengthen their friendship and cooperation in the 21st century,” Bhattarai shared.

He also took the occasion to recall that 10 years back on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, NCEC had presented a 60 kg replica of the Grand Bell at Patan Palace Square to the Grand Bell Temple in Beijing.

As per Bhattarai, the current statue was crafted in almost eight months by Juju Handicrafts in Lalitpur.

Receiving the Buddha’s statue, Master Xinming, President of the Yunnan Buddhist Association, shared that the solemn gift, crossing the Himalayas, carries the compassionate blessings of the Buddha’s birthplace.

“It honors the age-old pledge of our nations ‘united by mountains and witnessed by rivers’ and embodies our unbreakable fraternity,” Master Xinming said, adding “Its solemn form embodies the devout craftsmanship of Nepalese artisans and reflects the profound Buddhist friendship between China and Nepal.”

He also appealed to all to take the Buddha as bridge and hearts as path. “Along the Belt and Road, may we use compassion to link our peoples and ignite the light of a community with a shared future for mankind. Let us deepen cultural exchanges, using Buddhist wisdom to contribute to purified hearts, social harmony, and world peace,” he remarked.

On the occasion, Roshan Khanal, Deputy Chief of Mission at Nepali Embassy in Beijing remarked that Buddhism has closely connected the people of two countries. 

“Establishing the statue in one of the grandest as well as the most important Buddhist Temple in Yunnan Province, having a history of more than 1,200 years, has enriched the value of this statue,” Khanal shared.

She further shared that it is a precious gift from the people of Nepal which will be always standing in Yunnan as the epitome of Nepal-China close and cordial friendship for the next 70 years and beyond.

Officials from Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office, monks from Buddhist associations of different cities of Yunnan, and dignitaries from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were also present in the function.

Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is a sacred place for Buddhists all over the world. Nepal and China have shared special exchange and bonding in Buddhism since ancient times.

Some two thousand years ago, renowned Chinese Scholars Faxian and Xuanzang traveled to Lumbini and have recorded their travels. Likewise, Nepalese Scholar Buddhabhadra (Zue Xian) traveled to China in the fourth century to translate Buddhist Scriptures into Chinese together with Chinese scholar Faxian.

Since then, Nepal has served as a source of transmission of Buddhism to Xizang initially and then across China.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)