Despite decade long Cultural Revolution, China has learned best to preserve cultural values for future generation, said Nepali writer in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

The decade long Cultural Revolution indeed had invited the trend of preservation and conservation in China though it is regarded dark times in the history. Such preserved cultural heritage of past have become one of the best economic source in China through the door of tourism, said Dr Tulsi Bhattarai, former executive chairman of state run newspaper Gorkhapatra.

Impressed with cultural diversity and development in China, Bhattarai expressed his experience of recent visit in China. Bhattarai along with 55 more members went to China for 15 days people-to-people cultural visit in June.

The huge cultural delegation comprising of 19 writers, artists, composers and 37 industrialists, business people and intellectuals visited Lhasa, Xi'an, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and returned back to home through the way of Hong Kong.

"I had heard of Lhasa since my childhood and China has been changed a lot since 1949 under the leadership of Mao Zedong. And the current image of China, dominating world as a rising economical power because of all these issues I was curious to observe China through my own eyes," said Bhattarai.

"I had been to Lhasa in 2001 and this time our team also succeeded the visit commencing from the same route of Lhasa," he added.

According to him, Lhasa has been developed rapidly within eight years, adding "appearance of Potala Palace has become more beautiful and clean."

"This people-to-people cultural visit in China has become fruitful for me since it enabled me to see China by myself," he said.

Bhattarai, who is former general manager of "Sajha Publication", government owned publication, said that modern development and economical progress in China is not just influential but also an example. "China has successfully applied modernism without destroying cultural values. They have adopted the best model of development that fits the country", he added.

"While interacting with writers and literary figures during the visit to many places of China, we came to know that most of the writers were unaware of origin of Lord Gautam Buddha," said Bhattarai.

He said that most of the Chinese writers and readers read Indian books that interpret Lord Buddha's origin in India instead of Nepal. "Language has become the main barrier between Nepal and China to communicate from people to people level."

According to Bhattarai, the members of Chinese writers association who interacted with Nepalese visiting delegation have agreed to translate few of both country's book in both language to facilitate better understanding.

Bhattarai, also the former member secretary of Nepal Academy, noted that human sensitivity depicted in Chinese literature somehow resembles with social aspects of Nepalese literature. "Chinese literature used to portray revolution, patriotism and awareness relevant issues till 80's. But these days, they are inclined toward romanticism and human behavior issues," he said.

Bhattarai said, "after visiting China I came to know that unity and stability are the essential for development. Without strong leadership, development is hard to achieve. In our country, we also need good leadership to lead people of the country to take right way to make development like China."

"Nepal needs to maintain close relationship not only with India but also with China," he said, adding that Nepal also needs to increase exchange programs in a bid to strengthen relationship between Nepal and China.

<i>Source:Xinhua</i>