江苏留学网

Ren Sijie and her students map a piece of Nepali architecture. [Photo/jstv.com]

The scenes of her first visit to Nepal in August 2017 were still vivid in Ren Sijie's mind, a teacher in the School of Architecture at Southeast University. 

Ren said that two years on, scars of the devastating earthquake can still be seen in some areas of the South Asian country, leaving local residents with not only economic losses, but also architectural and cultural wounds. 

She made up her mind to save Nepal's architectural treasures from ruin – using her professional skills and bringing with her a group of enthusiastic students. 

So far the group has surveyed and mapped two UNESCO World Heritage sites and another site on the UNESCO short list, including the Changu Narayan Temple complex. Changu Narayan Temple is considered to be the oldest temple in Nepal and is dedicated to lord Visnu. It is held in special reverence by the Hindu people. 

Ren said Nepal is home to a large variety of "living heritages". Protection of the time-honored buildings has created a new challenge for the country. 

"The many 'living heritages' which are still in use in Nepal today have greatly inspired me. I have a deeper understanding of Chinese traditional architecture, as well as the cultural exchange that took place between China, India and Nepal in ancient times," Ren said. 

Ren and her students also designed various Chinese-English travel guide books for Chinese tourists to Nepal. They hope to introduce the charm of the ancient buildings to more people.

Students cooperation in woodworking. [Photo/jstv.com]

Students from Southeast University and Nepal pose for a group photo. [Photo/jstv.com]