In the south of Tibet are the Himalayas, and in the southern foothills of the Himalayas is a magical land, Nepal.

Nepal is known as the “Kingdom of Mountains”, with eight peaks more than 8 kilometers above sea level. It is also known as the “Land of the Snowy Mountains”, and its capital Kathmandu is called the “City of Light”.

Nepalese friend Ni Guangming (Roshan Shrestha) in Nanjing is working in the Institute of International Education of Nanjing Medical University and has been living here for more than 18 years. He speaks fluent Chinese, and has a Chinese wife. They have a son and a daughter. “What made me stay is Nanjing's quality of safety, tranquility and tolerance.” Ni Guangming is very familiar with the streets of Nanjing, Beiwei Road, Fengfu Road, etc. In spare time, he likes riding around with friends and students looking for local delicacies.

“I wouldn’t forget the boiled fish with Sichuan pickles. It is my favorite dish when I first came to Nanjing. Vermicelli soup with duck blood curds and steamed dumpling...... they are so delicious.” In addition to tasting Chinese food, Ni Guangming also likes cooking. Sweet and sour spare ribs and dumplings are his specialties, which his wife and children enjoy a lot. When he is on vacation, he often invites friends to hang out at his place, and cooks for them. He handles both Chinese and Nepalese food.

He is also fascinated by the beauty of Nanjing. “Have you been to Zhongshan Pier? You can see beautiful sunset there and now I live near there.” said Ni Guangming as he showed the reporter the photos and videos from his phone. At dusk, the setting sun glows over the Yangtze River, with the Yangtze River Bridge in the distance.

Kathmandu is the place where Ni Guangming has lived. He says that the Boudha Stupa is his favorite landmark. As the largest round stupa in the world, the imposing building reveals a sense of generosity with its tremendous white dome. Walking in the streets of Kathmandu, you can see the colorful Nepalese costumes, the bawling peddlers, the romping children, and the chanting believers of Buddism. You can hear the conversation between businessmen and travelers, and you can feel the kindness and warmth of Nepalese people and the simplicity of their folk.

After coming to Nanjing, Ni Guangming organized more than 30 international exchange activities, actively acting as a go-between for the exchanges and cooperation between Nanjing and Nepal in the fields of economy, education, culture and tourism. After the devastating Nepal earthquake in 2015, 16 doctors and 4 engineers from three Chinese universities went to Nepal with Ni Guangming to offer medical treatment and help with post-disaster reconstruction. Ni Guangming says that the Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened the ties between China and the rest of the world, and he will actively respond to this initiative in the future to contribute to win-win cooperation in education practices at home and abroad.

Sister City Links>>>

In October 2019, Nanjing and Kathmandu officially set established up sister city relations under the witness of the heads of state of China and Nepal. With the comprehensive promotion of the Belt and Road initiative, exchanges between the two cities, especially in the field of humanities, have been strengthened, and exchanges of visits have become increasingly frequent. Nanjing cultural delegations have visited Kathmandu many times to show them Nanjing's intangible cultural heritage, farmers’ paintings and Wushu, etc. In terms of exchanges in education, Nanjing Art Primary School and Xishanqiao Primary School have become sister schools with Nepal Little Angel School.