Korean team visits Buddhist sites

The visit by the Korean team has received a great deal of press, mostly in Pakistani newspapers. This falls with that country’s general approach to its Buddhist sites: to emphasize the positive steps being made with regard to them. – Buddhist art news

DAWN.com,
Our Correspondent

TAXILA, March 17: A four-member team of professionals from South Korea on Saturday visited Buddhist sites and Taxila Museum.

The group comprising renowned scholar of Gandhara Prof Min Hee Sik, tourism promoter Kwah Munil, Lee Won Jong of Tehdi Sect Buddhism and Prak Jong, another tourism promoter.

The group came here on the invitation of Tourism Corporation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gandhara Art and Culture Association of Pakistan.

The invitation was extended to the Korean delegation as part of the Gandhara Peace Tours Advance Party Programme with a view to paving the way for future high profile visits from South Korea and other countries to the archeological sites.

Talking to newsmen, Prof Min Hee Sik, who was awarded premier cultural medal by French government, said:“South Korea is keen to enhance its cooperation with government of Pakistan for preservation and excavation of Gandhara sites scattered in various parts of the country.”

He said on his return, he would inform Korean monks and scholars that Pakistan had a lot to offer them and there was no law and order situation.

Lee Won Jong, follower of Mahyana form of Buddhism, said Korean monks were keen to support establishment of Gandhara University at Taxila which would not only promote religious tourism but also help exchange scholars between two countries.

Talking to newsmen, Gandhara Art and Culture Association Pakistan Chairperson Ms Easter Park said the group’s visit to different sites in Taxila and KP would pave the way to fetch religious tourists from Korea.

The delegation thanked officials of Tourism Corporation and said such steps would play pivotal role in promotion of religious tourism.