Tourists increases by 17 pc to Annapurna trekking route

The number of foreign tourists visiting Annapurna trekking area has increased by 17 percent this year as compared to the last year. The route is one of the 10 most famous trekking routes in the world.

Some 6,011 foreigners have visited the areas in March, 2013 while the number was 4,500 in the same period last year, RSS reports quoting Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP).

Similarly, 3,353 tourists visited the area in February, 2013 while the number was registered 2,876 in the last year, Tirtharaj Dhungana, an Official at the Tourist Check Point, Birethanti as saying told RSS.

A total of 44,531 tourists had visited the area in 2012 and 38,054 in 2011.

The trekking route begins from Nayapul of Kaski district and ends at Upper Mustang through Ghandruk, Chhomrung and Annapurna Base Camp.

Govt earns Rs. 254 m from Mt. Everest climbing permits this season

The government has collected Rs. 254 million in revenue from Mt. Everest climbing permits this season.

Twenty nine expeditions (as of April 19) from different countries are attempting Mt. Everest (8848m), the tallest peak on earth, this spring.

According to Tourism Industry Division of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, 315 foreign mountaineers have received permission to climb Mt. Everest.

Last year, the government had permitted 335 foreign mountaineers of 30 teams. Of them, 181 made it to the summit of Mt. Everest.

The spring climbing season starts from mid-March and runs through May. Officials of the division said members of most of the expedition teams have already left for Khumbu Region for acclimatization.

According to them, royalty fee to climb Mt. Everest ranges from US$15,000 to US$70,000 per expedition. The permit fee depends on the size of the team and route.

An expedition with 15 members is required to pay US$10,000 per person as permit fee.

Int'l indigenous film festival kicks off

The Seventh Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival -2013 has kicked off in the capital on Thursday, RSS reports.

The Festival organized by the Indigenous Film Archive (IFA) would last for three days. It is organized under the slogan: Equal Access and Participation of Indigenous People in Media.

Senior journalist Lal Deusa Rai, Malla K Sundar, Khildhwoj Thapamagar and Binita Chaudhari jointly inaugurated the Festival. The organizing body honoured them with the ´Pride of Indigenous´ award.

As many as 23 films and music videos on Gurung, Newar, Rai, Limbu, Chepang, Dhimal, Magar, and Tharu languages would be screened during the Festival.

Similarly, 27 foreign films and music videos produced in Australia, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russian, Ethiopia, Spain, Taiwan, US and Guatemala will be screened on the occasion.

Under ´Nepal Panorama, the best films produced by the indigenous film makers of Nepal would be provided cash prizes and award in the Festival.

Also, seminar and interactions would be held on the common problems of indigenous community and the films.

Festival Director Sanjog Laphamagar told RSS the Festival would set a stage to discuss on the situation of indigenous community, films on them, and to exchange the experiences.

Highest and lowest pt on earth make a symbolic meet as stones from Dead Sea is placed on Mt Everest

Two poles never meet. But they always attract.

However, the marvelous feat of making two opposites meet -- at least symbolically-- was achieved on Tuesday as a joint Nepali-Israeli team placed a monument brought from the Dead Sea -- the lowest point on Earth -- at the base of Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth.

The ceremony to unveil the monument, which has stones from the Dead Sea embedded on it, was held on Tuesday at Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu.


A joint Nepali-Israeli team placed a monument brought from the Dead Sea -- the lowest point...
The joint team was led by Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu, Mayor of Tamar Regional Council-Dead Sea Israel Dov Litvinoff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board.

Mayor Litvinoff along with Israeli artist Jojo Ohayon, who created the monument, brought the Dead Sea stones to Nepal for the ceremony.

Speaking at a press conference held in the capital on Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder said, "We are very happy and excited to announce that there is now on top of the world, a monument brought from the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea."

He said stones from Mt Everest are already on a journey to Israel, and a similar monument will be placed on the banks of the Dead Sea.

Ambassador Goder said that the main objective of these projects is not only to promote natural beauty and cultural heritages of the two countries but also to mark the long standing and friendly relations between the two countries.

"The idea is to further strengthen existing friendly ties between Nepal and Israel and bring it to the people-to-people level," he said.

Also speaking at the function, Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Sushil Ghimire expressed his happiness and excitement to announce the placing of monument brought from the Dead Sea at the base of Mt. Everest.

"Now we can enjoy the feelings of the Dead Sea at the highest point on Earth," Secretary Ghimire said, adding that a matching monument will also be placed near the Dead Sea next month, which will have a stone embedded on it from Mt Everest.

He also hoped that this will encourage more tourists to visit the two regions.

Mayor Litvinoff said that the successful completion of this project has brought Tamar Regional Council and Namche Bazaar "very close" and that the "two places are now friends", hinting that there will be increased cooperation between the two regions in the days to come.

This project is a follow up of a joint activity in September 2012 -- issuance of Nepal-Israel joint postage stamps featuring the Dead Sea and Mt. Everest.

Nepali ethnic architecture to be showcased in China horticultural expo

An example of Nepal's ethnic architecture will be one of the exhibits at the International Horticultural Expo in Qingdao in 2014.

Many nationally and globally renowned gardening experts have been invited as consultants for the report, Xinhua reported.

"The expo will showcase not only plants but also cultures," Li Fengli, secretary-general of the expo's executive committee, told Xinhua.

The organisers have invited international guests from all continents, representing cities, regions and nations that feature distinctive gardening characters to the expo, said the report. More than 30 international exhibitors in the International Garden will present various elements.

There will be an example of ethinc Nepali architecture, French-style village, a German beer garden, and a maze built using plants from Central and South America, among others, said the organisers.

Construction work on 13 national gardens has already begun, and 70 per cent of the construction has been completed, they said.