"Joining Hands to Build a Better Future" Tatopani | China | Construction
Nepal is located at the southern foot of the the Himalayas, bordering the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. In recent years, China and Nepal have continuously strengthened practical cooperation in areas such as connectivity, economic and trade investment, and energy development, achieving fruitful results. Our reporter recently went to Nepal to interview and witness the tangible convenience and benefits that China's aid in building roads, schools, sports fields and other livelihood projects have brought to the local people. Various sectors in Nepal have expressed to reporters that the prospect of deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between Nepal and China is promising, and they look forward to continuously writing new chapters of friendship across the Himalayas.
"Let this lifeline connecting the two countries shine with new vitality"
The high peaks of the the Himalayas pass through the clouds and are especially spectacular under the sunshine. Traveling north from Kathmandu surrounded by mountains, after exiting the city center, you enter the Anigo Highway. The road is bustling with cars and horses, creating a bustling scene.
As a major economic and trade channel between China and Nepal, the Anigo Highway is a transportation artery that connects the local area with the outside world, and is also seen by the locals as a road for development and happiness. In the Nepal section of the Anigo Highway, there are multiple towns along the route, including Kodari, Balabis, Kadi Oblast, and Bakdab. "Many of the products in my store, such as apples, lactose, garlic, etc., come from China," said Laim, the owner of a daily necessities store in Barabis City to reporters
The reporter saw buses, trucks, cars, and motorcycles coming and going on the road. On the bus driven by driver Niram, many passengers give a thumbs up when it comes to the road in front of them. Niram told reporters, "The Anigo Highway is an important passage between the capital Kathmandu and northern towns, with very busy passenger and freight transportation. Thank you to China for helping to build this highway."
The Tatopani border checkpoint, located along the Anigo Highway and 6 kilometers away from the Zhangmu Port in China, is backed by mountains and faces rivers, undertaking an important task of China Nepal cargo border inspection. In 2015, Nepal was hit by a major earthquake, which turned it into ruins. Afterwards, China assisted in the construction of the Tatopani border checkpoint project. Truck driver Damba commutes between China's Zhangmu Port and Kathmandu every day, and now he saves more than an hour on each trip compared to before. He said that after the reconstruction and upgrading of the Tatopani border inspection station, which was aided by China, the customs clearance conditions have improved. "Previously, unloading and reloading were time-consuming and laborious, but now vehicles carrying containers can enter customs for inspection, which is convenient and fast."
On the Podacosi River Bridge at the Tatopani border checkpoint, vehicles loaded with goods enter and exit. In the spacious and bright inspection hall, customs staff are verifying the customs declaration procedures. General Dayananda pointed to the large screen and said, "China has helped build modern border inspection stations. We can easily understand which vehicles arrive, which time they enter, and what goods they carry from the control room. Now, dozens of large trucks transport Chinese goods into Nepal every day. Since the resumption of one-way exports to Nepal at Zhangmu Port in 2019, as of April 28, 2023, the export weight of goods at the port is about 167900 tons, valued at about 2.961 billion yuan. Nepal will continue to work hard to improve the infrastructure conditions of the port and revitalize this lifeline connecting the two countries."
"Thank you to China for assisting in the construction of modern sports facilities"
At 6 o'clock in the morning, the morning light had not yet fully lit up, and the Nepal National Stadium was already bustling. The shooting center is open from 6am to 9am, and nearly a hundred young shooting enthusiasts come here every day for training.
"Can I take a photo with you?" A girl who was training at the sports stadium clasped her hands and greeted the working Chinese engineering staff. The girl's name is Sruda, and she is a sophomore student at a high school in Kathmandu. She is also a shooting enthusiast. She said, "When I was a child, my father often took me here to swim, shoot, and watch games, but the big earthquake damaged these facilities, and I never came to this sports stadium again. It wasn't until 2019, with the help of China, the sports facilities were repaired, and I could come here to train again."
The Nepal National Stadium includes multiple venues such as shooting range, swimming pool, boxing ring, and track and field field. It is a post disaster emergency repair project undertaken by China Railway 14th Bureau. The project not only repaired damaged facilities, but also upgraded and renovated information transmission equipment. The Nepal National Stadium has become a training ground for the national team, hosting international and domestic events such as the South Asian Games.
Shabin, Senior Engineer of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Nepal, said, "Thank you to China for assisting in the construction of modern sports facilities. In December 2019, at the 13th South Asian Games hosted by Nepal, Nepal achieved its best historical record of 51 gold medals. Now, thousands of people participate in sports and leisure activities here every day. People affectionately refer to Chinese engineers as' friendly ambassadors'."
"Promote more collaborative projects and projects to be implemented"
The reporter found during a local visit that the renovated traditional medicine research and training center has laid the foundation for promoting traditional medicine culture. The renovated Nepal National Television has presented more exciting programs to the local people, and the newly renovated Banipa Comprehensive Technical School has trained a large number of technical talents in automotive repair and other fields. The water wells built by China have ensured the normal water use of the Nepal Nature Conservation Research Center... A large number of livelihood projects built by China have blossomed everywhere and are widely praised.
Over the years, another construction project aided by China, the Nepal National Armed Police Academy, has greatly assisted in cultivating local talents in armed police and disaster relief. Currently, more than 4000 students have graduated from this school. Ke Nuo, who has been studying here for two years, said, "I often hear teachers say that the original college only had two small bungalows, no formal training venues, and a single training program. Looking at the magnificent school in front of me, as well as shooting training fields, climbing towers, indoor training fields and other training venues, it feels unbelievable."
"Since its establishment, teachers and students from multiple universities in Nepal have come here to visit, and UN peacekeeping personnel from more than 30 countries have come here to exchange and learn. I will tell them that the quality of the school buildings built by Chinese friends is very good," said Kadri, President of the Nepal National Armed Police Academy
Raju Swist, Chief Engineer of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Nepal, stated that Nepal looks forward to jointly building a cross Himalayan three-dimensional connectivity network with China, "promoting more cooperation projects and projects, enhancing economic and trade exchanges, and promoting people to people communication. Let's work together to build a better future.".
