The Chinese government is paying for the reconstruction of a nine-story former palace in Kathmandu's Durbar Square.

The number of tourists visiting Nepal has increased from roughly 700,000 in the year before the earthquake to almost 1 million last year, but tourist guides say foreigners tend to avoid Durbar Square because of the rebuilding work.

"It has had an impact on tourists. For example, Chinese tourists want to post their photos to WeChat, but the ruins don't make a good background," said Dhruba Paudel, a veteran guide.

Dipendra Gautam, a structural engineer who has done extensive research on the earthquake, said the campaigners were driven by emotion, but also criticized the government, claiming it had shown a lack of conviction, and defended the use of steel structures in some cases as a way of strengthening vulnerable ancient buildings.

"There are two extreme views when it comes to rebuilding traditional architectural sites. We have to choose between emotion and sustainability," Gautam said. "The Malla-era architecture is complicated, but they tend to be top heavy," he added.

Deepak Adhikari

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