National Museum, the oldest museum in Nepal has received digital assistance from northern neighbor China to preserve and manage cultural relics in the museum gallery.

Though the museum had already been installed 16 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and two Digital Video Recorder (DVR) in 2009, it was officially handed over to Nepali government by Chinese side on Tuesday.

Amidst a program organized at the National Museum in capital Kathmandu, Chinese envoy to Nepal Qiu Guohong officially signed delivery documents of the project and handed over to Minendra Rijal, Nepali Minister for Federal Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture.

"We are glad that we have begin to preserve our cultural relics with the support of latest digital technology. And we are happy because we begin this work with the help of our friendly neighbor China," said minister Rijal during the occasion.

Minister Rijal added that CCTV cameras and DVR assistance will support to strengthen security in National Museum. "If we could install such technologies in other museums too then it would turn back to protect ancient historical values of the nation," he said.

Reiterating that Nepal and China are close friendly neighbors since ancient time period, minister Rijal said, "Nepal has found China as a good friend in an international level too."

Meanwhile, Bishnuraj Karki, Director General of Department of Archaeology said that those received digital assistance have helped to secure National Muesum circumstance.

According to him, National Musem stores and displays art and artefact of ancient time which needs stern security to safe guard such ancient values. But it is hard to provide security in the museum due to increasing number of visitors.

In addition to this, museum security issue has been soared up since some of gallery guards of the museum had been retired. However, the digital technologies granted by Chinese government has been healing some of the security problem faced by the museum, according to Karki.

Those 16 CCTV cameras are not only guarding cultural relics here in museum but also giving us information related to the visitors, said Karki.

"With the help of Chinese government, new digital technology has entered the National Meusem," Bhesh Narayan Dahal, Museum Chief told Xinhua on Tuesday.

According to him, those 16 CCTV cameras are not only guarding cultural relics in museum but also giving information related to museum visitors to museum officials. "Altogether there are 32 post of gallery guards in the museum but currently only 20 of them are working here, so at this time of hour these CCTV cameras have been very effective to us, Dahal told Xinhua.

According to him more than 10 of the gallery guards were retired from museum and need to recruit 12 more personnel.

Nevertheless, Leelamani Paudyal, Secretary at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers informed that the decision of granting assistance to Culture Ministry in Nepal was decided by Chinese side in the year 2008 when a five-member delegation led by Paudyal visited to China.

"The delegation was headed by myself as a secretary of Cultural Ministry and we proposed this technical scheme which have been implemented now," said Paudyal.

During the hand over occasion, Chinese envoy to Nepal Qiu expressed his happiness to donate CCTV and DVR to National Museum. "China had accumulated several experiences on how to protect and manage cultural relics. Thus, we are willing to cooperate with Nepali colleagues to enhance to protect and manage cultural relics and share our experiences," said Qiu.

The National Museum of Nepal was established in 1928 as an arsenal museum in the historical building which was constructed in early 19th century by General Bhimsen Thapa. It was opened as a public museum in the year 1938.

There are altogether three gallery buildings in National Museum. Museum in current days have been an educational institution for students. More than 5,000 students are member of National Museum, according to Dahal.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2010)