Visit Nepal’s world-famous Monkey Temple

The Monkey Temple of Nepal is located on a hill in the west of Kathmandu, the capital. The temple is named after the large number of monkeys. The picture shows a monkey squatting on the top of a mountain, with a bird's-eye view of Kathmandu behind it.

On a hill in the west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, sits a striking golden pagoda. This is the Swambhu pagoda with a history of more than 2,000 years. The temple where it is located is also known as the "Monkey Temple" because of the large number of monkeys.

Climbing up the stone stairs from the foot of the mountain, you can see groups of monkeys foraging, walking, sitting leisurely, and sometimes suddenly jumping to the top of the Buddha statue, which is an eye-opener for tourists. Not far from both sides of the mountain road are lush forests, which are the natural habitat of monkeys.

As a Buddhist holy place, the Swayambhunath Temple is most famous for its Suwayam Bunath Pagoda. According to Buddhist legends, the Kathmandu Valley was originally a lake. One day, a blooming lotus rose from the lake. Suwayambunath means the lotus "emits its own light" and is considered to be the source of power in the Kathmandu Valley.

As for the hordes of monkeys, there is also a local legend: It is said that Manjushri Bodhisattva shaved off three thousand troubles here, his hair turned into trees, and the lice on his head turned into monkeys. Therefore, the monkeys here are regarded as "holy monkeys" and are respected and protected by temple monks and residents.

Many people believe that the monkeys here call the temple their home, grew up listening to Buddhist music, and their expressions and behaviors really seem to be self-cultivation. "Monkeys also practice practice" has become a popular saying among tourists when talking about the Monkey Temple.

Mr. Buthachan, 27, runs a handicraft business in a corner of the temple. He told China News Service: "My home is right behind the temple. I grew up here. I feel that the monkeys here are really different from those in the zoo."

Buthachan said that the monkeys in the Monkey Temple are generally gentle in temperament and rarely engage in "wild" or aggressive behaviors. But he also admitted that with the increase in tourists in recent years, the phenomenon of random feeding has become more and more common, and the monkeys have become pampered, drinking Coke, eating biscuits, and living a very comfortable life.

There are currently about 150 monks in the Monkey Temple, but no one knows the number of monkeys. A fortune teller in the temple who makes a living by reading palms said that there are about 1,500 monkeys, but many monks denied this number to reporters, saying only that it was "innumerable."

In fact, monkeys are not the only animals in the "Monkey Temple". Around the Suwayam Bunat Pagoda, there are leisurely puppies lying everywhere from time to time, and flocks of pigeons sometimes fly and sometimes land to look for food, presenting a unique temple scene.

The local tour guide said that it is best to visit the Monkey Temple in the afternoon and evening. Standing on the top of the mountain, you can have a bird's-eye view of Kathmandu city. The light at dusk also makes the big pagoda in the center of the Monkey Temple look more glorious and spectacular.

animal tags： monkey