The statue of an ancient Nepalese architect, Arniko, has been unveiled at the Baita (White Tower) Temple in Beijing.

A ceremony was held to mark the unveiling of the statute as part of a Sino-Nepalese cultural week, at which Nepalese artists performed folk dances and songs and showed their skills in stone-carving.

According to historical records, over 80 Nepalese including Arniko were summoned to build temples in China by the government of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) over 730 years ago.

Arniko also served as a government official in China for over 40 years. He designed and presided over the construction of the Baita (White Tower) Temple.

A Tibetan Buddhist tower in the temple is the largest of its kind in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2002)