Author: Anuj Bajracharya

BEIJING (AFP) – The world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, moved three centimetres to the south-west because of the Nepal earthquake that devastated the country in April, Chinese state media reported on Tuesday.

The 7.8-magnitude quake reversed the gradual north-easterly course of the mountain, according to a report in the state-run China Daily, citing the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation.

Before the quake, Everest had moved 40 centimetres to the northeast over the past decade at a speed of four centimetres a year, the report said. The mountain also rose three centimetres over the same time period.

– See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/australianew-zealand/story/mount-everest-shifted-southwest-due-nepal-earthquake-20150616?utm_content=buffera1fdf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.qjIXej61.dpuf

BHAKTAPUR, Nepal (Reuters) – Nepal reopened hundreds of earthquake-damaged monuments at heritage sites on Monday, trying to draw visitors back to the Himalayan nation less than two months after two devastating tremors killed about 8,800 people. At least 743 monuments were damaged by the quakes that struck Nepal on April 25 and May 12, including centuries-old temples, monasteries and palaces listed as world heritage sites by Unesco. After the first of the two earthquakes struck during the peak tourism season, thousands of visitors fled the country, leaving hotels empty and trekking companies without customers. The authorities quickly sealed the damaged monuments amid safety concerns and to protect thousands of intricately carved statues from being stolen from the rubble. The cash-strapped government opted to push ahead with their reopening despite cautionary statements issued by Unesco last week that visitors to the ruins should “reconsider the necessity of visiting those sites” because they were still in a “precarious” state. – See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-asia/story/nepal-reopens-damaged-monuments-heritage-sites-kickstart-tourism-after-qu#sthash.uVsGjdNf.dpuf

Director of Archaeology (DoA) Mr. Bhesh Narayan Dhala , said they would be opening the gates of Kathmandu Durbar Square, the SwayambhunathTemple and the Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square for the public and tourist from June 15. Several damaged area will be fenced off to protect the visitors.

Here are the google sphere view of before and after the earthquake .

Patan Durbar Square Before earth quake

(Drag mouse over the picture to look around)

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is opened for all after the Earthquake

picture courtesy NTB