Editor's note: This is a letter from Sushant Shrestha, a student from Nepal studying at Nanjing Medical University, sharing his thoughts about the connection between Nepali and Chinese culture.
There are marvelous fireworks, amazing lamps, as well as delicious and vivid food choices. As a Nepali student in China, it feels so amazing to be a part of Chinese festivities. But it gets more interesting when you realize that you can connect to the food, mythology and architecture around.
Let's start first with the mythology. Manjushree, also known in China as Wenshu shares a deep bond with Mount Wutai in Shanxi, one of the four sacred mountains in China. There is a Manjushree hall in Mount Wutai's Foguang Temple and in Chinese Tibetan Buddhism, Yama, the god of death, is considered to be one of the manifestations of Manjushree. The same Manjushree is believed to have made Kathmandu valley habitable, and shares a deep bond with Swayambhunath, the world heritage site revered by Hindus and Buddhists of Kathmandu. Like in Shanxi, Manjushree holds a special place in Kathmandu, with many even considering him a manifestation of Bodhisattva and Mahadeva.