From Mandarin in menus to shop signs in Thamel, Chinese influence rising in Nepal

KATHMANDU: On a stroll through Kathmandu’s Thamel district—the beating heart of Nepal’s tourist trade—the presence of China is hard to miss. Shop signs flash Mandarin translations, and quite a few restaurant menus have dish details elaborated in the language.

In narrow lanes once dominated almost entirely by Indian backpackers and European trekkers, Chinese tourists now form a noticeable second wave. At Tribhuvan International BYD, Leap Motors, Omoda, XPENG, Dongfeng Forthing, Great Wall, to name a few have flooded Kathmandu’s streets with sleek electric vehicles. Taxi driver Sushil Thapa, who has worked the roads for two decades, says Indian cars once ruled. “Now, whole fleets run on Chinese EVs.

They’re stylish and affordable.” For Kathmandu-based analysts like Kanchan Jha, the trend is unmistakable. “It reflects a look-beyond-India mindset,” he said.

“Our ties with India are deep, but there is value in cultivating another giant across the mountains.”Indians accounted for 40%, Chinese 8.5%, and Americans about 6%. Himal Gautam, director at department of tourism, Nepal, told TOI, “In Aug, a total of 7,533 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in comparison to 6,614 in the same month last year.

Similarly, in May, a total of 8,824 tourists from China visited our country against 8,381 in May last year. Indian tourists have always topped the chart in terms of foreign tourists visiting our country.

But we are happy that more tourists are also coming from China, and other countries as well.” Chinese automakers numbers are rising. Till some time back, our hotel used to have around 15 or 20 Chinese tourists in a month—now it’s double that.” Official data seems to confirm what the eye sees. In Aug, Nepal welcomed 88,680 foreign visitors, a 22% rise from last yenal Airport, the shift has been made official. Alongside a longstanding immigration counter reserved for Indian citizens, a new one has been set up for Chinese travellers, that says: ‘Celebrating 70 years of Nepal-China friendship’. The gesture complements an existing visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, making their entry smoother than ever in Nepal.

For Mausam Rana, a hotel manager in Thamel, the impact is visible in the guest ledger. “Indians still form the bulk of our clientele,” he said. “B