KATHMANDU\(Reuters) - The United States will provide Nepal $900,000 in grants to restore one of its major tourist attractions, a rundown complex of old buildings in the neighbouring town of Patan, the U.S. embassy said on Monday.
It said the money from U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation would be used for the restoration of the Patan Royal Palace, one of South Asia's finest and most intact historical urban royal ensembles dating back to 17th and 18th centuries.
"The most significant impacts of this restoration project include fostering increased understanding between cultures, the creation of a world-class institution furthering knowledge of Nepalese culture, local training and education, and economic development," the U.S. embassy said in a statement.
Washington is a key donor to the Himalayan nation.
Tourism is a mainstay of Nepal's impoverished economy and accounts four percent of the gross domestic product.
The mountainous nation abolished its 239-year-old monarchy and turned into a republic after the former Maoist rebels emerged as the single largest party in last year's election for a special constituent assembly.
The Patan Royal Palace, a popular tourist site in the hill ringed Kathmandu, is one of the three locations to receive the grant from the Fund established to support the preservation of cultural sites, objects and collections around the world.
Other two are the Sacred City of Caral in Peru and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos in Ohrid, Macedonia, it said.
No comments:
Post a Comment