Nepalis in China
Encyclopedia
The community of Nepalis in China consists of Nepal
ese immigrants and expatriates to China
as well as Chinese citizens of Nepalese descent.
were Newar merchants. In the early Malla period (1100-1480), evidence of Newar expansion emerges. Trade routes to Tibet via Humla, Mustang
, Kiyrong, Khasa and Wallangchung channeled north-south relations. Following the Shah conquest of the Newars, Prithivi Narayan cut off the flow of trade through Kathmandu, depriving the Malla kings of revenue and undermining the Newar traders' support of their own. After the British Younghusband Expedition opened up the shorter trade route to Tibet through Kalimpong, by 1908 Newar traders had lost their advantaged position in the Lhasa trade.
To trade effectively in Tibet, Newar families sent their brothers or sons to the major cities of Lhasa
, Shigatse
and Gyantse
to live for years at a time. Overtime, these men learned to speak Tibetan, took part in the cultural life centered on Buddhism, and many married Tibetan women. In 1943, Nepalese traders based in Lhasa formed the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce
in order to promote trade and coordinated among its members to set uniform prices for their merchandise besides lobbying with the government for business-friendly policy.
Some of Lhasa's most popular hotels are even owned by mixed Nepali-Tibetan families, known locally as kazara, meaning 'mixed race' in Tibetan. Some of these families have been living in Tibet for more than 300 years, and now speak Chinese
alongside Tibetan
, Newari and Nepali
. While many children attend local Chinese schools, Nepali families may also opt to send their kids to the Gorkha Primary School of Lhasa, established 65 years ago, which has two Nepali teachers and is miraculously paid for by the government of Nepal.
There are over 40 NGOs organized by Nepalese in Hong Kong and these social organizations got government licenses. The Southern League Organization and Hong Kong Gurkha (Nepal) associations are the two main NGOs helping the Nepalese community in Hong Kong.
consisting mostly of traders and international students from Nepal
. The Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN) Association in China has demanded that the Chinese government open a Consulate General´s Office (CGO) in Guangzhou as the number of Nepalis in the city has soared sharply in recent years after Nepalis residing in Kunming
and Honk Kong have started to shift there.
, Yunnan
have attracted Nepalese students who want to pursue their medical courses there. The Nepali medical students started to arrive here from the year 2005. During that time, just two students were enrolled there, but recently the total number of Nepali medical students has gone up to 175.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese immigrants and expatriates to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
as well as Chinese citizens of Nepalese descent.
History
The first Nepalis to arrive in TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
were Newar merchants. In the early Malla period (1100-1480), evidence of Newar expansion emerges. Trade routes to Tibet via Humla, Mustang
Mustang
-Animals:* Mustang , a free-ranging horse of the American west. -Aircraft:* Cessna Citation Mustang, a modern business jet which is currently the smallest model in the Cessna Citation range...
, Kiyrong, Khasa and Wallangchung channeled north-south relations. Following the Shah conquest of the Newars, Prithivi Narayan cut off the flow of trade through Kathmandu, depriving the Malla kings of revenue and undermining the Newar traders' support of their own. After the British Younghusband Expedition opened up the shorter trade route to Tibet through Kalimpong, by 1908 Newar traders had lost their advantaged position in the Lhasa trade.
To trade effectively in Tibet, Newar families sent their brothers or sons to the major cities of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, Shigatse
Shigatse
Shigatse is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China, with a population of 92000, about southwest of Lhasa and northwest of Gyantse...
and Gyantse
Gyantse
Gyantse is a town located in Gyangzê County, Shigatse Prefecture. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in the Tibet region , but there are now at least ten larger Tibetan cities.-Location:The town is strategically located in the Nyang River Valley on the ancient...
to live for years at a time. Overtime, these men learned to speak Tibetan, took part in the cultural life centered on Buddhism, and many married Tibetan women. In 1943, Nepalese traders based in Lhasa formed the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce
Nepalese Chamber of Commerce, Lhasa
The Nepalese Chamber of Commerce, Lhasa opened in 1943, the first ever organization of businesses formed by Nepalese traders based in the Tibetan capital. The Newar merchants conducted trade between Lhasa and Kolkata transporting goods over the Himalaya by mule caravan...
in order to promote trade and coordinated among its members to set uniform prices for their merchandise besides lobbying with the government for business-friendly policy.
Present
The ethnically Nepalese community of Lhasa comprises two prominent groups, Tibetan families who are descendants of Nepalese traders and hotel or restaurant workers from Nepal who come on short-term work visas. The latter, numbering under 100 at least according to consular statistics, are sought after by Lhasa hoteliers for their experience of cooking non-Asian food.Some of Lhasa's most popular hotels are even owned by mixed Nepali-Tibetan families, known locally as kazara, meaning 'mixed race' in Tibetan. Some of these families have been living in Tibet for more than 300 years, and now speak Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
alongside Tibetan
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, Newari and Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
. While many children attend local Chinese schools, Nepali families may also opt to send their kids to the Gorkha Primary School of Lhasa, established 65 years ago, which has two Nepali teachers and is miraculously paid for by the government of Nepal.
Hong Kong
Nepalis form roughly 0.2% of the total population of Hong Kong. Nepalese people began to come to Hong Kong in the 1970s, as part of the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas. They continued in this employment until 1997. Their primary duties were to deter illegal immigrants and protect local residents. Most of them lived in Whitfield Barracks and Shek Kong Barracks. After 30 June 1997, the British Government withdrew from Hong Kong and the Gurkha brigade disbanded. These Gurkhas and their children had the right to take up residence in Hong Kong.There are over 40 NGOs organized by Nepalese in Hong Kong and these social organizations got government licenses. The Southern League Organization and Hong Kong Gurkha (Nepal) associations are the two main NGOs helping the Nepalese community in Hong Kong.
Guangdong
A number of Nepalis live and work in GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
consisting mostly of traders and international students from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN) Association in China has demanded that the Chinese government open a Consulate General´s Office (CGO) in Guangzhou as the number of Nepalis in the city has soared sharply in recent years after Nepalis residing in Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and Honk Kong have started to shift there.
Yunnan
The Dali University in Dali CityDali City
Dali City is a county-level city in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan province of Southwest China.-History:...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
have attracted Nepalese students who want to pursue their medical courses there. The Nepali medical students started to arrive here from the year 2005. During that time, just two students were enrolled there, but recently the total number of Nepali medical students has gone up to 175.