Mini Great Wall taking shape in Tistung

By Rammani Dahal,Hetauda, July 23: Construction of a Mini Great Wall in the tourist destination of Tistung in northern Makwanpur has entered its final phase.

The 400-metre-long Talku Hill Mini Great Wall is being built from Pokharichaur to Talkudanda in Thaha Municipality-12.

Funded by the Nepal Tourism Board, around 300 metres of the project has already been completed, including the construction of stone-paved steps and other infrastructure.

Plans also include the construction of a resting place, a chautara (traditional resting platform) and public toilets. 

According to Aait Kumar Tamang of Thakre Rural Municipality-5 in Dhading, who has been facilitating the project, the chautara has already been completed.

Tamang said the mini great wall, located near the border of Thakre Rural Municipality, can be reached from Damechaur in Dhading along the Tribhuvan Highway via an unpaved road through Thakre to Panchpokhari. 

He added that work is progressing to complete the Mini Great Wall and the remaining structures within mid-August. 

Tamang, who also operates the Pokharichaur Community Homestay in Thakre-5, said the project is being implemented under the Rs. 500 million Chandragiri-Shaktikhor Integrated Tourism Infrastructure Development Project funded by the Nepal Tourism Board. 

He said a 900-metre tourist trail and other infrastructure have already been constructed in Dakshinkali Municipality, while the remaining budget is being used for tourism infrastructure in Makwanpur.

Under the project, the three-metre-wide Mini Great Wall and other tourism facilities will be constructed in Thaha Municipality-12.

Ward chair Tika Lama said work on the tourist trail had been delayed due to the monsoon.

“Stone-cutting work is currently under way, and it is proving to be challenging,” he said. 

“Talkudanda is also a historical site, and we are preparing to develop the area into a major tourist destination.”

He said visitors would be able to reach the open meadow at Talkudanda via the Mini Great Wall. Plans are also in place to promote tourism by linking nearby attractions, including the Manakamana Temple and Mulabari.

According to Lama, the area’s proximity to Kathmandu gives it strong potential for tourism development.