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However, it was the institution that listed him for Nepali, and he accepted his fate.

While he knew he wanted to focus on learning a new language, which would allow him to skip the gaokao (高考), the Chinese college entrance examination, he was still torn between his choices of Russian, Malay, and Nepali. Originally from Heilongjiang Province in China, Rajkumar had a strong inclination toward learning languages in general. Such is the case for Wang Zihao ‘Rajkumar’, a Nepali language master’s student at Tribhuvan University. However, not everyone had an impression of Nepal before deciding to major in the Nepali language. It is worth noting here that all sources of information about Nepal are in the Chinese language and are overseen by the state, which conveniently allows the government to manage public opinion. Its snow-capped mountains and lakes, as well as its architecture, awoke the wanderlust in me,” he said.Īnother student, Guo Yunjiao, ‘Jenisha’, a final year Nepali language student at Beijing Foreign Language University, learned about Nepal from a travel memoir, Blue Heaven (蓝色天堂), written by Bi Shumin. “Nepal was a mystery I wanted to explore. Similarly, for Du Wenlong, ‘Bijaya’, a graduate student and Nepali language translator at the International Department of the Communist Party of China, it was the 2014 Chinese movie, Up in the Wind (等风来), which was shot mostly in Pokhara and Kathmandu, that made up his first impressions of Nepal. I remember it was quite a popular choice for many young Chinese boys due its handsome appearance,” said Ambar. “I first learned about Nepal while playing a Chinese video game similar to Counter-Strike (CS) named CrossFire in elementary school, where one of the in-game weapon options was a khukuri, also known as “尼泊尔军刀” (Nepali military knife) in Chinese. He now teaches Nepali at Foreign Language University. Zhang Hao, ‘Ambar’, majored in Nepali at Communications University of China. That perception, however, is slowly changing as the Chinese are now learning about Nepal in many different ways, aside from their geography and history classes. However, the total number of students from all four universities won’t even add up to 100 students a year, according to those who are currently studying Nepali.Ĭourses typically required for learning the Nepali language at Chinese universities.ĭespite over half a century of diplomatic relations, most Chinese nationals still consider Nepal “mysterious”. While Yunnan University has yet to enroll any students into this major, the others already have a number of graduates who’ve studied about four years of Nepali. This inclination continues to date.Ĭurrently, there are five Chinese universities – Communications University of China, Beijing Foreign Language University, Yunnan Minzu University, Xizang Minzu University, and Yunnan University – that offer Nepali as a major in their undergraduate degree programs. With his proficiency in Nepali and years of experience in diplomacy, Zeng eventually became Chinese ambassador to Nepal in 1998.Ĭhina’s far-sighted decision to train a batch of Chinese students in the Nepali language hinted at a genuine interest and willingness to understand its southern neighbor.

Zeng would go on to serve as the Nepali translator on official visits by King Mahendra and King Birendra to China, as well as accompany every high-level Chinese visit to Nepal – from Zhou Enlai to Li Xiannian, former president of China. Three years into his study, Zeng would be called upon to receive the first delegation from the Nepali Parliament led by Bishwa Bandhu Thapa after the establishment of Sino-Nepal diplomatic relations. It was 1960 when Zeng Xuyong, fresh out of high school, was instructed by then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to study the Nepali language.