Rasuwa Municipality in Nepal rises from the Himalayan foothills to the Chinese border, with mountains over 7,000 meters dominating the skyline. Villages dotted with adobe and stone buildings dot the ridges and hills, covered with corn and barely planted terraces.
Shrines and prayer flags are hung at particularly dangerous locations along mountain passes and winding roads. It takes about 5 to 6 hours by jeep from the Chinese border to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Approximately 50,000 people live in this area. Langtang National Park in the north is a popular destination for trekkers, and Gosaikunda, a sacred alpine lake over 4,300 meters above sea level, is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus. There are also several hydroelectric projects in the region that utilize fast-flowing rivers.
The Bhote Kosi River flows from China to Nepal, often through deep canyons and is popular with whitewater rafters. It flows through Nepal and eventually flows into the Ganges River in India.
Rasuwa was devastated by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, killing more than 9,000 people, including hundreds who wiped a popular trekking village in Langtang National Park off the map in a landslide.
Timure is located along the Trishuli River and is one of the villages at risk of major damage from flooding, and is the last village on the way to China. A group of buildings line the road in front of a huge and imposing gate that symbolizes China. There are usually dense lines of trucks waiting to enter China to pick up shipments of clothing, electronics and household goods.
