I. Kathmandu Valley Region
Of the seven famous monuments in the valley region, three are the Old Royal Palace Square. One in each of the three cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadgaon. The Nepali word "Durbar" means royal palace. In history, the king of Nepal in the square around the royal palace always build some religious temples, different dynasties continue to add new buildings, so in the three capital cities, are formed to the old palace as the center, around the square is full of significant historical, religious, cultural and architectural significance of the temple. These groups of buildings are of different ages and styles. Debar Square is Nepal's architectural wonders and the concentration of history and culture, is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Nepalese people.
(I) Kathmandu Durbar Square
The most famous building is Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Hanuman Dhoka means "Gate of the Monkey God". Located in the center of Kathmandu, the palace is centuries old and was built during the Lichchhavi dynasty before the 13th century. Since the late 15th century, it has been the official residence of successive Malla kings of Kathmandu, and after the capture of Kathmandu and the unification of Nepal by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, it has been the royal palace of the Shah dynasty. The old royal palace had a large Narsa square-shaped courtyard surrounded by buildings. During the Malla dynasty, the courtyard was the venue for performing songs and dances. During the Shah dynasty, the enthronement and coronation ceremonies of the kings were held here, and in 1970, after the royal family moved to the new palace in Narayanti, the old palace was turned into a museum for tourists to visit, where portraits of the kings and a large number of artifacts and photographs of King Tribhuvan's life are displayed.
Kathmandu Debal Square **** consists of three open spaces and more than 50 architectural monuments. The main one is the Doklam Temple. Built in the 8th century AD, it is the oldest structure in Kathmandu. Legend has it that the entire temple was built from the wood of a single tree. There are also temples of the child goddess Kumari, the Elephant Head Goddess, Shiva and Vishnu, Narayan, the Black Sky Goddess and many more.
(ii) Patan Durbar Square
Patan is one of the three towns in the Kathmandu Valley, adjoining the city of Kathmandu, just a river away. Founded in 299 AD, Patan is the oldest city in Ny. It was the capital of the independent kingdom of Patan from the late 15th century until 1867 during the Malla dynasty. Debal Square is not as large as the Old Palace Square in Kathmandu, but has a higher concentration of buildings. The buildings were mostly constructed between the 17th and 18th centuries. A distinctive monument is the Black Sky Temple, built entirely in stone in 1667, which is beautifully carved and has been described as a "marvel of Nepalese architecture". Most of the square temples are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses, including Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and his mount Nandi, and Vishnu, his consort Lakshmi and his incarnation Kurotan, and his mount Garuda. There is also the elephant-headed god, Hanuman, the monkey king, and Nagar, the snake god.
(C) Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Also known as Bhaktapur, it is one of the three towns of Kathmandu and is located about 13 kilometers east of Kathmandu. It was the capital of the independent Malla Kingdom from the 13th to the 18th century. The city is known as an "open-air museum". There are the royal palaces of the 500-year-old Malla dynasty, including many palaces, courtyards, temples, statues and other artistic features, which are known as "the essence and treasure trove of medieval Nepalese art". Among them are the Golden Gate and the 55 Window Palace, famous for its exquisite bronze casting and wood carving art, which are rare art treasures. Not far from the Palace Square is the Nyatapila Temple, the famous five-storey tower, which is the tallest temple building in Nepal.
(iv) Boudhanath, the Floatunath Pagoda
It is 1 kilometer east of Kathmandu City Ring Road. Boudhanath means Jyoti and Boudhanath Stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal with a height of 38 meters and a circumference of 100 meters. The stupa is said to have housed the relics of the ancient Buddha Gautama Buddha for more than 1,200 years. The stupa also has a Nirvana name, "Luju Stupa". Its origin is that when the tower was built, Nepal was in a drought and could not get water, so the tower builders collected dewdrops and mortar. The pagoda was restored by Nyingma lamas in the 16th century, and from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries, the pagoda was supervised by Chinese lamas. The pagoda is larger than the one at Swayambhu Monastery. The tower is composed of four parts: the base, the pedestal, the cone and the crown. The base of the pagoda falls above the ground and is a huge dome-shaped roof, and the pedestal is placed above the center of the roof. The pedestal is quadrangular in shape, with a pair of large eyes painted on each side, symbolizing enlightenment. The cone of the pagoda above this point,**** with its 13 steps, represents the steps to Buddhahood. The crown of the pagoda symbolizes Buddhahood. At the base of the round pagoda a few meters away outside the ring wall around. There are 147 recessed niches in the outer wall of the ring wall, within which hangs the sutra wheel, and on the inside of the sutra wheel, **** there are 108 statues of the Buddha sitting in meditation.
This was once just a village. From the 50s onwards is a more concentrated area of Tibetans. In recent years, the population has been increasing and there are many religious goods stores around. There are more than 30 temples of the Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug and Sakya schools of Tibetan Buddhism nearby.
(E) Swayambu Monastery (Swayambu)
Located on a hill in the western ring road of Kathmandu city, it was built in the 3rd century A.D. It is the oldest Buddhist temple in Nepal and a famous Buddhist shrine. Swayambhu means "self-luminous", and it is said that Vishnu, one of the seven original Buddhas, once threw a lotus root here, predicting that luminous lotus flowers would grow here in the future and that the lake would be turned into a rich country. The location of Swayambhu Temple is where Vishnu Buddha planted the lotus. The footsteps of Siddhartha Gautama also visited this place. The footprints of Manjushri Bodhisattva are still preserved by the steps on the eastern side of the hillside. In 1234, the place became a center of Buddhism.
The temple towers on top of the mountain of the big stupa shape peculiar, architectural style is roughly similar to the Fortunato tower, round base diameter of 20 meters, the tower height of 10 meters. Pagoda seat is painted around a pair of big eyes, the pagoda seat above the tower cone is also 13 steps, the top of a pointed tower crown. The surface of the tower cone are inlaid by copper or gold leaf plating. Its pure white tower base, golden tower body, soaring Huagai and the top of the treasure in the sunshine reflecting the sunshine, very colorful. View from the temple. A panoramic view of the city of Kathmandu is visible.
(F) Pashupatinath Temple
Built in the fifth century A.D., it is the most important Hindu temple in South Asia and is situated on the banks of the holy river Bagmati, covering an area of 260 hectares. The main body of the temple is a tower-like structure surrounded by many smaller temples, which form a star-studded formation with the main building. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, "Pashupati" being another name for Shiva. Pashupati is another name for Lord Shiva. "Pashu" means all living beings and "Pati" means Lord, which together means Lord of all living beings. Adjacent to the bank of the Bagmati River, not far away from each other to build a platform. After the death of Hindus, are cremated on the platform. After cremation, the ashes swept into the river, downstream, in order to enter heaven.
(7) Changgu Narayan Temple (Changgu Narayan Temple)
Located in the northeast of the Kathmandu Valley about 22 kilometers, by the 4th century A.D. Li Chawei dynasty of King Mandev initially built, the 5th century was officially completed, is the oldest Hindu pagoda temple in Nepal. The site is 153 meters above the Kathmandu Valley and overlooks the valley. The door of the temple is decorated with gold and silver and is extremely splendid. On the right hand side of the entrance, there is a stone pillar commemorating the achievements of King Mandev. The temple is mainly dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his ten incarnations.
(viii) Other Tourist Attractions in Kathmandu Valley
There are many other places to visit and see in Kathmandu Valley. For example, in the city of Kathmandu, there is Narayanthi New Royal Palace, Prime Minister's House, Martyrs' Monument, and so on. The supine stone statue of Lord Vishnu located below the foothills of northern Kathmandu.
Two, Nepal's other attractions
(A) Lumbini
Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal, only 20 kilometers from India. It is a place of longing pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world and a base for contemporary Buddhist revival.
In 565 B.C., Mrs. Moye, the queen of the kingdom of Gaviara, was on her way back to her mother's home to give birth in a horse-drawn carriage when she passed through the Lumbini Gardens. When Mrs. Moye saw the garden's exotic flowers and plants, the water was fragrant and clean, so she got off the carriage and took a bath in the garden. After bathing, she went ashore, and holding a branch of a Bodhi tree, she gave birth to Prince Gautama Siddhartha. At the age of 29, Prince Siddhartha felt the impermanence of the world and became a monk in search of the true meaning of life. 6 years later, he was enlightened by seeing a star and became a Buddha. In order to spread all sentient beings, he spoke for 49 years until he attained nirvana. Buddhists to commemorate the birth of the Buddha's garden, called the sacred garden, built a number of monasteries, temples and pagodas. 2500 years to the present day to come to worship never interrupted.
The Lumbini Gardens cover an area of 8 square kilometers, and today there are still ancient trees, dense reeds and the remains of building foundations. There were once three stupas, two monasteries and three Moya temples. In recent years, a stone slab was excavated one meter deep under the statue of Buddha in the main hall of the Moya Temple, and it was proved that the place where the slab was located was the exact location of the birth of the Buddha. Moye Temple has been demolished, but Mrs. Moye born Prince of the stone statue and other precious relics stored in a nearby temple. Stone statue area of less than 1 square meters, on the carving of Mrs. Moye's hand on the branch, the little Prince of each of the six directions of the seven steps, the finger up to the sky, the mouth said, "heaven and earth, but I am the only one" of the scene. Mrs. Moyer bathed in a well-preserved sacred pool, next to the vertical sign marked: "Mrs. Moyer was born before the Buddha, once bathed here. To the south of the sanctuary, there are two thousand-year-old Bodhi trees. Many tourists are willing to meditate and take photos under the trees, emulating the legacy of Buddha's practice back then.
Not far north of the temple site is another famous monument, the "Ashoka Pillar". Ashoka was a famous monarch who unified India in the 3rd century B.C. and was highly decorated for promoting Buddhism. This pillar was erected during his pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Buddha. Further south of the Bodhi tree are two Hindu symbols. To the west of the sanctuary is a field of reeds with a natural flavor. Around the sacred garden, there are temples built with the aid of Nepal, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. The Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism also has a large temple here. China's Buddhist Association built the "China Temple" is also located in this place, and cooperation with the Nepalese religious community.
27 kilometers west of Lumbini, is the father of Siddhartha Gautama's King Jinyan and the queen of Lady Moya's royal palace location, called Tilola Kotte. The foundations of the royal palace, stupas and monasteries are spread here. The most famous is the East Gate where Prince Siddhartha stepped out when he became a monk. In the northeast of Tilola Kotte, at Nijirawa, there are two fragments of Ashoka's pillar from the third century BC. There are also the monuments of Sagarhawa and Arora Kotte.
(ii) Pokhara
Pokhara, about 200 kilometers west of the city of Kathmandu, is Nepal's most attractive tourist city. From the city, you can look north to Fishtail Peak, which is 6977 meters above sea level. The peak towers above the clouds and is of heavenly beauty. The famous Fewa Lake in the city is embraced by the mountains and the blue waves are rippling. The island in the lake is surrounded by ancient trees and the temple of Goddess Shakti stands tall. On an eyewitness day, the silver-white snow-capped peaks are reflected in the turquoise lake, swaying with the waves. The lake and mountains are so picturesque. The city also has attractions such as the Sedi River Canyon, the Waterfall Cave, the "Devil" Waterfall and the Antique Market.
Three Museums, Royal Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Nepal*** has 18 museums, 13 in the Kathmandu Valley, 2 in Pokhara, and 3 in Lumbini and two other cities. The museums have a large number of valuable collections of metal, stone and wooden statues of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, deities, as well as books, scriptures, etc., which are the repositories of information for the study of Nepal's history, culture and religion.
Nepal has opened 14 royal parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Among them, Everest National Park is listed as a World Natural Heritage Site. The country is home to the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, rich vegetation and rare animals like musk deer. The number of tourists visiting the parks and sanctuaries each year is the second highest in terms of the number of tourists visiting the country. Chitwan National Park is the most visited park, covering an area of 1,700 square kilometers, with 50 different species of herbaceous plants and 43 species of animals including rhinoceros, crocodiles, and mergansers. While riding elephants through the dense forests and reeds, rhinos grazing leisurely and crocodiles sunbathing on the beach are visible. Annapurna is the largest protected area covering more than 7,000 square kilometers and is one of the hiking destinations where the natural landscape is full of pristine wildlife and the life of the local people is reminiscent of ancient times.