Rosha Basnet
Kathmandu, May 28: A group of 30 Chinese nationals who visited the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)’s central office on Wednesday noon were seemingly awestruck.
What beckoned the visitors who had summitted the highest mountain in the world- Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest)- over different period of time was the beauty of Nepal’s majestic mountains and exquisite Himalayan heritages oozing altogether 100 photos displayed in the ongoing photo exhibition at the RSS.
No sooner they got off their bus in front of the RSS’s central office at Bhadrakali, the climbers comprising 28 men and 2 women, excitedly jostled to enter the exhibition hall even before RSS Executive Chairperson Dharmendra Jha and staffs could officially welcome them.
Immediately later, they queued up to enter the exhibition hall showing striking images of Nepal’s mountains, alluring mountain cultures and traditions, trekking trails, glacial lakes, flora and fauna, and cultural festivities.
Chairperson Jha and the staffs then formally greeted the northern neighbours at the main entrance. Jha offered each climber a red scarf bearing the RSS logo as a symbol of hospitality and respect.
Inside, the visitors would see a photo with a banner bearing the same RSS logo —hoisted atop the Sagarmatha on May 23, 2018, by RSS editor Rosha Basnet, who was also present to welcome the group.
The exhibition showcased the photographs taken by RSS journalists and photojournalists over different period of time. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey had jointly inaugurated the exhibition titled ‘Mountain Tourism: Our Pride, Our Identity’ on May 25 in commemoration of the Republic Day-2025.
During today’s visit, Chinese climbers were deeply moved and expressed a strong emotional connection to the-Sagarmatha, Nepal’s iconic natural heritage that lies on the border between Nepal and China.
Surprisingly, the photos’ captions that were in Nepali did not seem to be ‘Greek’ to the Chinese visitors. They could instantly recognize many of the towering mountains- particularly Sagarmatha, Kanchenjunga, Annapurna, Manaslu, Makalu and other Himalayan giants, perhaps due to photos speaking for themselves.
“Wow! Amazing!” one climber exclaimed with a thumbs-up as he pointed to a photograph of Sagarmatha featuring the RSS’s banner. Several gathered around, murmuring in their native language and eagerly identifying familiar scenes, including the routes they had opted to climb the 8,848.86 meters mountain.
A particularly heartwarming moment occurred for a climber who discovered he had scaled the Sagarmatha via the same route and in the same year (2018) as journalist Basnet, the Nepali journalist who had hoisted the RSS’s banner there.
The visitors briefly shared stories, photos, and smiles- a symbol of mountaineering camaraderie across borders.
RSS Chairperson Jha, in his welcome speech, introduced RSS as the country news agency similar like China’s state news agency-Xinhua News Agency.
Shedding light on the objectives of the exhibition, he explained that the exhibition aimed to promote Nepal’s mountain tourism and its unique identity as the home to eight of the world’s ten highest mountains above 8,000 metres.
His remarks, translated into Chinese by a Nepali interpreter, elicited an enthusiastic applause from the visitors.
Throughout their visit, the climbers captured images of their experiences in the exhibition, recorded the event in their tiny cameras and mobile phones and congenially engaged in conversation with fellow Nepali Sagarmatha climber lady as well as other RSS journalists.
Some appeared nostalgic and ecstatic, reliving their past expedition through the images of Sagarmatha, also known as the ‘Top of the World.’ One climber articulated his willingness to climb from south-east-ridge (from Nepal side) as well and visit the Everest Base Camp in Nepal side, provided both time and health permitting.
Another climber, who first scaled Sagarmatha in 1988 and later in 2003, expressed joy at seeing various facades of Sagarmatha (Chomolungma as they refer to Sagarmatha in their native language) captured from different angles.
Another voiced for sustainable mountain tourism, highlighting the impact of climate change on the vulnerable mountains and mountain region he had witnessed first-hand during this expedition and subsequent visits to the Everest region.
“Preserve the mountains,” he urged, suggesting people to enjoy nature ‘responsibly.’ One visitor, tired from a football match played earlier with the other Everest summiteers participating in the Everest Summiteers Summit-2025 held previous day, gushed that picturesque images rejuvenated his spirit as he laid his eyes on them.
“My fatigue vanished into the thin air!” he chimed in, gesturing animatedly in a mix of Chinese and English and gesture.
As they departed, the Chinese climbers- all wearing the red scarves they had received-carried with them memories of the allure of photos at display and the warm reception accorded to them from the country’s only state-owned news agency. #nepal #Sagarmatha summiteers #rss
