Lumbini International Peace Festival 2024: Press Meet

Nepal Tourism Board, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC), and Province Sports Council Nepal, have joined hands to organize the Lumbini International Peace Festival from April 5-6. The event is being co-organized by the Nepal Overseas Chinese Association (NOCA), Zhong Hua Monastery in Lumbini, and Lumbini Hotel Association.

The event is composed of three major programs: Lumbini International Peace Marathon, Lumbini International Meditation Day, and Lumbini Peace Concert. The event focuses on promoting and positioning Lumbini globally as a “world peace and culture tourism destination”. The event is also expected in furthering the goodwill and warm people to people relations between Nepal and China.

The event is expected to promote the essence of peace for humanity in addition to the tourism promotion. The center of the 2-day event will be the premises of LDT around the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lumbini International Meditation Day is scheduled for early morning April 5 at the Sacred Garden with 100 monks, nuns and 400 practitioners.

Talk program will be held on the evening of April 5 to commemorate the “International Day of Sport for Development and Peace” which falls during the time. The Lumbini International Peace Marathon scheduled early morning on April 6 will start and finish at Lumbini Square. The marathon will be in the following categories: the Marathon (M), Half Marathon (F), SK Open (M+F), School (B+G) including Walkathon.

Ancient sports programs like archery, wrestling etc will also be held and demonstrated at the time Cash prizes will be awarded to the first 10 male full marathon winners, first 3 female half marathon winners, and first 3 winners among students and general public both male and female. Total cash prize for the marathon is 1.9 million.

The Lumbini Peace Concert at the Lumbini Square Theatre, a semi-moon shaped outdoor theatre outside the Royal Thai Monastery, is scheduled for April 6.

For a cultural presentation, Chinese singer Wulan Tuya and artist Lu Ning, along with Nepali singers Ani Chhoying Dolma and local artists from Lumbini, will perform. Around 2,000 spectators are expected to attend the cultural program.

Jeevanram Shrestha, the president of the Nepal Olympic Committee, Sanuraja Shakya, the secretary of the Lumbini Fund, and Nandini Thapa, the chief executive officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, highlighted the significance of the peace festival organized in Lumbini to enhance Nepal’s tourism internationally through mediums of religion, culture, and sports.

Furthermore, Wang Xin, Deputy General of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, mentioned in a press conference that various cultural and sports-related programs will be organized in Lumbini to promote branding for Lumbini, enhance tourism in Nepal, and increase friendly exchanges with various countries like China.

The event will be promoted globally to highlight Lumbini and its core value of peace and culture. The event will be promoted in China by the Embassy of PRC in Nepal. Similarly, it will be hosting international and national marathon runners, Chinese delegates, diplomats, artists, singers, province and national Government officials, tourism fraternity. The program is supported by Lumbini Buddhist University, Yunnan Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association and Tourism Development Council, Lumbini Province, and Greenroad.