"Don't take pictures facing the Chinese side," a Nepali policeman stationed at the border village of Rasuwa Gadhi insists. "They don't allow that. We'll get into trouble."
The old trade route between Kathmandu and Tibet via Kerung is the new silk road. Traditionally used by yak caravans bartering salt for rice, the route will now be upgraded to an 18 km highway connecting Syabrubesi to Rasuwa Gadhi. That road is already connected to Kathmandu and to the Prithvi Highway, making it an alternative to the Kodari access to Tibet.
"The road has made things easier," says Nima Ghale of Timure. "The journey to Syabrubesi used to take six hours, but doesn't take more than two now."
But there are concerns among locals about long-term consequences of the road. "All the land is being bought up by people from Trisuli and further south. Soon, the whole village will be owned by them, and we'll have to resort to collecting firewood and fodder for money," she says. "The poor will just get poorer."
Local villagers are caught in a familiar dilemma in the mountains of Nepal these days: to balance the advantages and disadvantages of a new highway.
This photo story was produced for Mads Nissen's masterclass organised by photo.circle. It is part of the book 'The Constant Change- 12 photo stories from Nepal' and is being exhibited from 4 to 13 November at the Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal.
![]() PICS: PRASIIT STHAPIT A girl picks berries in Timure. The road below follows the Bhote Kosi where a new hydroelectric plant is being built. |
![]() A Chinese worker at the road construction site in Ghattekhola. The banner reads: 'If you want a better market for your product you have to ensure it has a good quality.' |
![]() Cattle being taken through a forested slope to high summer pasture.A girl picks berries in Timure. The road below follows the Bhote Kosi where a new hydroelectric plant is being built. |
![]() A man performs a ritual at Dhukpo Cheju, a local festival also celebrated across the border in Kerung on a much grander scale. |
![]() |
![]() |