Asia is home to one of the earliest human settlements and an important cradle of human civilizations. Both China and Nepal have made significant contributions to Asian civilization. As a friendly neighbor of China, Nepal has a time-honored history and splendid culture, especially its Buddhist culture, architecture and sculpture art. Cultural exchanges have always played an important role in the friendly relations between China and Nepal.
On November 26, 2022, the international conference “Cultural Exchanges along ‘Belt and Road Initiative’: The Special Session for Exchange between China and Nepal” was held online, sponsored by the School of Marxism, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (XAUAT) and co-organized by Lumbini International Academy of Science and Technology (LIAST) and the Section of History of Marxism Development, Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU). More than 10 experts from different fields of the two countries and more than 100 audiences and guests attended the discussion.
Carry forward the historical tradition of cultural exchanges between China and Nepal
China and Nepal enjoy profound traditional friendship. The legend that Manjushri Bodhisattva came to Nepal from Mount Wutai in China to create the Kathmandu Valley is widely spread in Nepal. Chinese monk Faxian of the Jin Dynasty and Monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty visited Kapilavastu and Lumbini in Nepal, which are recorded in the Record of Buddhist Kingdoms and The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions. Eminent Nepali monk Buddhabhadra (Chinese name was Jue Xian) came to China to cooperate with Faxian and others in translating Buddhist Sutras such as the Avatamsaka Sutra, which promoted the communication of Buddhism in China.
Arniko, a Nepali craftsman, designed and built the White Pagoda of Miaoying Temple in Beijing and the Big White Pagoda of Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province. On August 1, 1955, the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Nepal formally established diplomatic relations. Subsequently, and the diplomacy between the two heads of state greatly promoted the development of the friendly relations between the two countries. In 2017, Nepal joined the Belt and Road Initiative, bringing new opportunities for cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Nepal.
As the organizer of this international conference, Professor Li Xian’e from Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology expounded on the long history of cultural exchange and profound friendship between China and Nepal in her speech. She hoped that China and Nepal could break the barriers of cultural exchanges through dialogues, exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations and continuously create achievements of civilization that transcend time and space and have a lasting appeal. This is the only way to implement the BRI and realize the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The translation of Chinese and Nepali literature, film and TV works is in the ascendant
The beauty of a civilization finds concrete expression in the classic works of philosophy and social sciences and works of novel, prose, poem, literary criticism, folk legend, plays, film and TV drama. Translation of the literature, movies and television shows has become an important way of cultural exchange between China and Nepal. During the latest decade, a growing number of outstanding cultural works from Nepal are brought into China, and a lot of fine Chinese cultural products are introduced to Nepal.
Sarbottam Shrestha from Arniko Society of Nepal introduced the history, problems and solutions of translation and communication of literature and film and television works between China and Nepal based on his own experience of more than 10 years in translation. He stressed that in the process of translation in literature and art field, it is necessary to pay attention to the selection of writers and works. It is necessary to expand the reading market through commercial operations, strengthen cooperation with professional associations and authoritative institutions, and hope that more Nepali books will be translated into China to enhance cultural exchanges and interactions between the two countries.
According to Dr. Kumar Khadka of Lumbini Buddhist University (LBU), the translation of Chinese books into Nepal has the problem of low translation accuracy and small sales market. Given this, translators from both countries should choose works in line with the public needs to carry out translation. The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions has gained great popularity in both China and Nepal, and expanded the basis of cultural exchanges between the two countries. Translating it and other classic works on Buddhist culture in China and Nepal into Nepali will promote Nepal to organize its own history and carry out Buddhist cultural exchanges between China and Nepal under the framework of the BRI.
Effective carriers of cultural exchanges between China and Nepal are emerging
The Belt and Road Initiative, together with the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network and other initiatives, have greatly expanded cultural exchanges and mutual learning. Cooperation among China and Nepal in science, technology, education, media, sports, health, tourism, industry, commerce, and think tanks, labor, women, youth, local governments exchanges are thriving like never before, and further promote the cultural exchanges between the two countries. Meanwhile, great changes have taken place in the environment, objects, scope and mode of cultural exchanges between the two countries, which requires the two peoples to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground.
Khet Raj Dahal, principal of Lumbini International Academy of Science and Technology (LIAST), introduced the achievements of educational cooperation between China and Nepal and the educational features of LIAST, and hoped to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries through educational exchanges and cooperation. Dr. Sagar Neupane, works at Lumbini Buddhist University, talked about the international sister city between China and Nepal, which has deepened the friendship between the two peoples and promoted the development of cultural exchanges through local cooperation.
Wang Donghong, an associate professor at Shaanxi Normal University, reviewed the background, current situation and future of the exchange of governance experience between China and Nepal in the last decade, and believed that the two countries can carry out all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging exchanges and cooperation, especially in the fields of agricultural development, cultural heritage inheritance and ecological restoration. Liang Guilin, a researcher from Shaanxi History Museum, believed that tea is one of the important links of friendly exchanges between China and Nepal. The two countries can strengthen the exchange and cooperation of tea culture, establish a relationship through tea-related organizations or professional associations, accelerate commercial development, and promote economic development through cultural exchanges.
In addition, scholars from Northwest University, Northwest University of Political Science and Law, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, and Xi’an International Studies University also discussed cultural and technological exchanges along the Silk Road in history, as well as the relationship between Sinology and Western learning, the world value of Chinese traditional rites and music, and the international communication of the spirit of the Communist Party of China.
People are the best bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. As an area with low political sensitivity, cultural exchanges can help consolidate the political foundation and promote economic cooperation. This conference has a wide-ranging agenda, and has promoted the exchanges of experts from the two countries. Through this meeting, more young people from China and Nepal will be driven to participate in the building of a cultural community featuring peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning as well as shared benefits through the friendly relations between universities.
(Wang Donghong, research follower of Center for Silk Road People-to-people Exchange, Shaanxi Normal University; Zhang Zhaoyuan, postgraduate student, School of Marxism, Shaanxi Normal University）
