Lumbini, May 27: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala inaugurated the China Temple and a statue of Lord Buddha constructed by the Chinese Buddhist Association and the Government of the People’s Republic of China at the birthplace of the Buddha, amid a function here today.

The China Temple constructed at a cost of about Rs 270 million in the Chinese Pagoda Style covers an area of 25,600 square meters.

China’s Buddhist Guru The Panchen Lama had expressed a wish to construct the temple when he visited Nepal in l986, and construction work on the project started in l996.

The foundation stone for the temple was laid during the centennial celebrations of the discovery of the Ashoka Pillar in December l996.

The six meter high Buddha at the temple is said to be the tallest in Lumbini.

The Government of Myanmar has already built a Vihar at the Lumbini complex and Vihars and monasteries are also being constructed by Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, France and Germany, it is stated.

The China Temple was inaugurated jointly by the Prime Minister, chairman of the Raj Sabha Standing Committee Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Datta Chataut, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar, Visiting Chinese State Councilor Ismail Aymat, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal and Buddhist Gurus.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Koirala said the construction of the China Temple and Statue of Lord Buddha by the Government of the People’s Republic of China is a friendly gesture and manifestation of the goodwill of the Chinese people towards the people of Nepal and another firm brick in Sino-Nepal relations. This gift of the government of the People’s Republic of China will leave a never-to-be forgotten imprint on the memory of the Nepalese people, he added.

Pointing out that the people of Nepal fondly remember Chinese scholars such as Tseng Tsai, Fa Hien and Hiouen Tsan who had visited the historic sites related to Lord Buddha centuries ago, Mr Koirala said cultural relations between Nepal and China have also been enriched by the contributions of Nepalese scholar Bhadrabahu and artist Arniko, and there have been regular exchanges of political missions between the two countries since long ago. All these activities had further cemented the friendly relations between the two countries.

Appreciating the construction of the China Temple and the statue of Lord Buddha at the Lumbini complex, he said we expect continued cooperation from friendly countries around the world for speedy implementation of the master plan for the development of that complex.

He also observed that the monastic zone in the complex, where the contributions of the world community are located, has been the centre piece of the Lumbini area depicting international peace, friendship, understanding and universal brotherhood.

Prime Minister Koirala also made it clear that the policy of His Majesty’s Government is not to allow any anti-Chinese activity on Nepalese soil.

He said Nepal-China ties have been consolidated not only by social, cultural and religious factors, but have also contributed to Nepal’s economic development including areas like health and hydro-electricity. He expressed confidence that the ties would become still stronger and more profound.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Datta Chatauta said the construction of the temple will further the friendly ties subsisting between the two countries.

His Majesty’s Government is committed to implementing the Lumbini declaration adopted by the Buddhist summit held at Lumbini and determined to transform Lumbini into a centre for world peace.

State Councilor of People’s Republic of China Ismail Aymat noted that the temple was built in the original style of the Chinese Buddhist Pagoda and relations between Nepal and China have been flourishing from strength to strength in religion and in other fields on the basis of mutual equality.

Chinese ambassador Zeng Xuyong noted that the temple built for the first time outside China by the Chinese government and the Chinese Buddhist association would contribute to deepen the ties between the two countries.

The vice chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association and other monks highlighted the relations subsisting between the two countries.