Nepal's women mountaineer journalists aspire to contribute to country's tourism through photo exhibition

In a bid to contribute to Nepal's tourism through series of spectacular photos of the world's highest peak, the team of "First Women Journalists Qomolangma Expedition-2018" organized a photo exhibition in Kathmandu.

The five-day exhibition entitled Women on Top which ended on Tuesday featured more than 50 photographs covering the journey of female journalists who successfully scaled Qomolangma in May this year with the slogan "Unified Voice for Equity."

The exhibition was held in the premise of Nepal Tourism Board as part of its photoNepal campaign, and the sideline event of the 16th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

From the popular Khumbu Icefall to the treacherous spots, crevasses, extensive rope and ladder crossings and moments of the climbers to the magnificent close view of mountains, the photos on display created an instant imagination of the Qomolangma and appeal to visit the place.

Among around 5,000 visitors, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal Valerie Julliand was among the around 5,000 visitors, who termed the exhibition as very impressive. "You all are fantastic. Women on top, always," she commented about the exhibition.

"The photos took us back to 2008, when our group had climbed the peak. The exhibition is really beautiful," Qomolangma climbers Shailee Basnet and Maya Gurung shared with Xinhua on the last day of the exhibition.

The exhibition comes at a time when Nepal has announced 2020 as Visit Nepal Year with a target of welcoming 2 million foreign tourists. To support the campaign, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has been organizing activities such as photo exhibitions every month to showcase the country's rich natural and cultural beauty.

Sudhan Subedi, an officer at NTB, told Xinhua that "Mountains always hold a special attraction among the people, thus the exhibition is able to provide a vivid picture of its exquisiteness. We have also promoted the photos through social media, so it will attract the foreign tourists and support the tourism industry."

Many of the school and college students also visited the exhibition and expressed their willingness to visit the base camp in the future, with some even showing interest in climbing the peak.

Deuralee Chamling, a team member of the First Women Journalists Qomolangma Expedition, said, "We were so overwhelmed when a 8-year-old kid shared us that he wants to climb Qomolangma, for which we asked him to be prepared after 10 years. Our exhibition has inspired so many people, and that's our major accomplishment."

Another team member, Rosha Basnet, had a similar story to share, saying the exhibition featured different aspects of mountaineering including techniques and its aesthetic value and beauty.

"Youngsters are very much carried away by the pictures. It has raised a sort of curiosity about the mountains," Basnet told Xinhua.

The expedition team comprised five journalists working in different Nepali media organizations, namely Rosha Basnet, Kalpana Maharjan, Deurali Chamling, Rojita Buddhacharya and Priya Laxmi Karki, Four of the five journalists have successfully scaled the peak.

Editor: Wang Huan