Nepal Reopens Earthquake-Damaged UNESCO Sites

Several of Nepal's UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley have reopened following the devastating earthquake that hit the region in April. But are they ready?

In the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that hit Nepal in April and May -- which left more than 8,000 people in the region dead -- that country has been struggling to recover. One of its primary industries, tourism, was hit particularly hard by the tragedy: Many of Nepal's most trafficked sites, including several UNESCO World Heritage monuments, were closed after the earthquake, while all expeditions to Mount Everest have been canceled for the season.

Now, for better or worse, the Nepalese government has decided to reopen some of those previously closed UNESCO sites within Kathmandu Valley in an attempt to bring visitors back to the region. Among the historic sites are Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Patan Durbar Square, home to the Patan Museum and its rich trove of Hindu and Buddhist artifacts; the Swayambhunath Temple complex; and Boudhanath, a sacred Buddhist site. In The New York Times,Nepal's tourism secretary, Suresh Man Shrestha, said that “World Heritage sites, the treasures of the Nepalese economy, should not remain closed forever,” adding that they presented an opportunity to foster what he called “earthquake disaster education tourism.” The sites are open to the public as of Monday.

However, the decision to welcome tourists back to Nepal's sacred sites has not been embraced universally. In a memo released on June 11, UNESCO urged anyone visiting "to be extra cautious and reconsider the necessity of visiting those sites," and that it is "hoping that the decision of reopening can be re-examined." Among the issues they pointed out: Some buildings, including the Patan Museum, are in danger of collapsing; there are landslide risks at Swayambhu and Changu Narayan; and rubble still clutters many of the sites.