Nepal, a country surrounded by nature and wonders. It is backed by the Himalayas and is famous for its many high mountains. Of the ten tallest mountains in the world, 8 are located in Nepal or on the border with Nepal, and it's amazing that in just 100 kilometers, you can see the difference from Mount Everest at 8,848 meters to the southern plains of only 100 meters, which is unique in the world. You can even look up close and close at the snow-capped mountains wearing short sleeves, and Nepal is also the birthplace of Buddha Shakyamuni, where the awe-inspiring nature combined with the deep cultural heritage has cultivated the unmatched faith of the Nepalese people. People have built more stupas and temples than dwellings here, and it can be called a country where there are more gods than people, temples than houses, and people and gods coexist. So what does the real Nepal really look like? How many wonders and mysteries await our discoveries? Let's embark on a journey together to explore this fascinating country.
Nepal, Nepal is a landlocked mountain country in South Asia. Located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, it borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and India on the other three sides. The country has a land area of 147,000 square kilometers and a population of about 30 million (2020). Nepal's rectangular border is only 200 kilometers wide from north to south (850 kilometers from east to west), and in this 200 kilometers you can see the Himalayas in the north, the hills and river valleys in the middle, and the low plains and primeval forests in the south. Such a complex topography gives Nepal a wealth of unique beauty.
Nepal's northern Himalayas, home to as many as 240 mountains over 6,000 meters above sea level, attract large numbers of climbers and expeditions. The most desirable of these peaks must be Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. Climbing Mount Everest is also a lifelong dream for many climbers and explorers. Mount Everest, as the dividing peak between China and Nepal, has many different names. In China it's called Everest, in Nepal it's called Sagarmatha, and internationally it's called Everus. On the south side of Mount Everest, Nepal has established Sagarmatha National Park, a national park covering more than 1,000 square kilometers with high-altitude snow-capped mountains, glaciers and deep valleys.
The park's elevations range from 2,805 meters at the entrance to the summit of Mount Everest at 8,848 meters. The park is home to countless rare flora and fauna, and together with the Everest National Nature Reserve in Tibet, China, bordering it to the north, creates a sacred Himalayan landscape. Such stunning scenery has allowed mountaineers and trekking enthusiasts to create numerous hiking trails in Sagarmatha National Park, making Nepal's northern region a world-famous hiking paradise.
But it's not easy to get to Sagarmatha National Park in the deserted northern mountains, where there are no cities, just a few small towns and villages scattered around. At 2,800 meters above sea level, Lukla has become famous as the nearest town to Sagarmatha National Park and Mount Everest. Whether hiking through the park's various trails or climbing Mount Everest, Lukla has become a starting point for adventure. The town has a unique mountain scenery and a pleasant climate, surrounded by magnificent mountains. To this day, however, there is no asphalt road connected to the town, and the only way to reach Lukla is by plane.
Tenzin-Hilari Airport in the town, known as the most dangerous airport in the world, has a short runway of 527 meters, which can only accommodate small planes of 20 people, and the end of the runway is a cliff on one side and the Himalayas on the other. To help slow down on landing and accelerate on takeoff, the runway is angled, but despite this, there is only one chance to take off or land, otherwise it will fall into a cliff. With such a dangerous airport and mountaineering behind, more than 100,000 people around the world still fly to Lukla every year. The last rest stop for climbing Mount Everest in Nepal is the base camp on the southern slope of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5,364 meters. There is also no road connection between Lukla and the base camp, so the only way to get to the base camp on the southern slope of Mount Everest is to hike for about a week or so. Compared to taking a car directly to the base camp on the northern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, this has become a lot more difficult. The South Slope Base Camp, made up of dozens of tents, can give those who want to climb Mount Everest plenty of rest. Of course, all the facilities and equipment in the base camp were transported by manpower and yaks on foot for more than ten days.
Nepal's central region is steeply descending in altitude, densely packed with low-altitude mountains and hills, and its natural environment is very different from Tibet, China. The Himalayan natural barrier shields Nepal from cold winds from the north, while the warm Indian Ocean currents from the south give Nepal a warm and pleasant climate. The river valleys formed between mountains and hills have given birth to many ancient cities in Nepal, the largest of which is the Kathmandu River Valley, where is the capital and largest city of Nepal, Kathmandu. Kathmandu is also the largest city in the Himalayas, home to nearly 3 million people.
At an altitude of 1,400 meters, Kathmandu enjoys a pleasant climate with year-round sunshine and trees. Perhaps it is precisely because of such magnificent nature that the people here have established an extremely devout religion. There are more than 2,700 temples of all sizes in a city, and when you come to Durbar Square in the center of the city, you can even see more than 50 monumental temples in a week. Therefore, in Nepal, you can often hear such strange comments as "there are more gods than people, and there are more temples than houses". In the city you can even see the world's largest round stupa, the Bodhahar Great Stupa, which is also the city symbol of Kathmandu.
Also located in the Kathmandu River Valley, Badgang, 14 km east of Kathmandu, is Nepal's third largest city and the old capital and oldest city in Nepal. It is full of brick red tones, with denser temple buildings than the capital Kathmandu, and the unique architectural style of Badgang is composed of numerous temples and masonry stupas, and it is known as the city of pilgrimages and temples. For panoramic views of the Kathmandu River Valley and the Himalayas, be sure to visit a small village called Nagarkot on a ridge east of the capital Kathmandu. Nagarkot is known as the observation deck of the Himalayas, where you can see 8 of the 13 highest peaks in the Himalayas from the widest and most beautiful perspective. When the weather is clear, you can enjoy the majesty of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest.
In addition to the Kathmandu River Valley, there is also a Pokhara River Valley in central Nepal, which is located in the second largest city in Nepal, Pokhara. Pokhara is home to its snow-capped mountains and lakes to form one of Nepal's famous tourist resorts. Not only is it a paradise for boating, but as long as the weather is good enough, standing in a city less than 900 meters above sea level, the seven or eight kilometers high Anna Purna peaks seem to be within reach.
The southern part of Nepal is the Leyte Plain, which is less than 200 meters above sea level, which is rich in rainfall and fertile land, and is Nepal's main agricultural region. The most striking spot on the plains is Chitwan, which means heart of the jungle in Nepali. In ancient times, stretching from Pakistan to the Indus Valley to the border with Myanmar covered vast tracts of primeval forest, this forest has been almost destroyed, and Chitwan is the only remaining precious place in this primeval forest. So in 1973, Chitwan National Park was established here, which protects many endangered species such as one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, etc., which have been safely inhabited and bred here. Of course, Chitwan National Park also allows you to participate in a variety of adventures, the most popular of which is elephant riding through the jungle. To the west of Chitwan, there is a small town called Lumbini, which is known as the home of Buddha. As the birthplace of Buddha Shakyamuni Gautama Siddhartha, Lumbini is one of the most important religious shrines in the world. Numerous temples and gardens highlight the unique status of this central city of Buddhism.
However, Buddhism is not the majority of Nepal's religion, where more than 80% of the population practices Hinduism, so Nepal is the only country in the world that has Hinduism as the state religion. Back in Demandu, the capital of Nepal, there is also the largest Hindu temple in Nepal, the Pashupatinath Temple. Since the Bagmati River, which flows below the temple, will eventually flow all the way south into the Ganges River in India, the temple has been given a more sacred color. Here you can see the same famous scene as the holy city of India and Varanasi, whether it is the river altar, the place of communication with the gods, or the crematorium, the final home of believers, can bring everyone who comes here a spiritual shock.
Perhaps the large number of religious activities has indeed affected the living conditions of Nepalese, which has led to Nepal having one of the lowest per capita incomes in Asia, but the people here remain devout and optimistic, believing that religion can give them the strength to overcome difficulties. Therefore, Nepal's uniqueness does not come from economic prosperity, nor only the magnificence of nature, the long history, but more importantly, it comes from the deep faith in people's hearts and the infinite love of life. This is Nepal, a fascinating country, an unparalleled existence.