Transcript – Nepal & Sri Lanka Architecture

I decided to come to Sri Lanka because I've always wanted to study abroad, and it wasn't the typical Europe trip or London. I was really excited to experience the culture, especially after I had taken a cultural class. The focus of our program is to explore cultural landscapes in Nepal and Sri Lanka. I'm here in Nepal to study the architecture of Kathmandu and the surrounding areas.

My name is Rachel. I'm here to study the architecture of many of the religious temples and cultural landscapes.

What has impressed me is the spirituality of Nepal and its people, and more importantly, the experiences we've had visiting cultural and World Heritage sites. Visiting the vernacular traditional settlement of Bode with students from the university here has been a truly enriching experience. Sharing and building intercultural connections between our students and the Nepali students was a great experience that left a strong impression on me about the country.

I really enjoyed looking at the details of the architecture, especially the wooden windows and carvings. They're fascinating. In the U.S., we don’t get enough exposure to Asian cultures—not only the architecture, but the culture in general.

I came here to study the architecture of religious temples and stupas and to really understand their traditional design.

One observation I found particularly interesting is that while a person may enter certain spaces, they are not supposed to reveal exactly what is wrong—such as describing a broken beam or one that needs replacement. Religion holds a very central place in everyday life here, which makes the cultural and architectural traditions even more compelling.