https://https://au.trip.com/toplist/tripbest/recommend/bhaktapur/best-things-to-do/10070024662090
Best Things to Do
Popular Best Things to Do in Bhaktapur [2025]
Table of contents
Show All Photos
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
4.5
/5
273 reviews
4.4
Based on 1,712 reviews
313m from downtown
Phone +9779841620757
Address: Durbar square, Bhaktapur 44800, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
Highlights:
1520 Torado Temple spring festival
15th-century palace: Hindu & Buddhist
Verified user reviews
Walking into Bhaktapur Durbar Square is like entering a long scroll of Nepal's history. Located in the Kathmandu Valley, it is a culmination of medieval Nepalese art and architecture, a UNESCO-certified world cultural heritage, and can be called an "open-air museum".
In the square, red brick ancient buildings are closely arranged, and wood carvings and stone carvings can be seen everywhere. The patterns on the window lattices and columns are exquisite and complex, and the images of people, animals, gods, etc. are lifelike, quietly telling stories of the past.
The Nyatapola Temple is the symbol of the square. This five-story pagoda reaches the sky, and statues of mythical beasts and strong men stand majestically beside nearly a thousand steps.
This is also a portrayal of Nepalese life. Women draw water from the ancient well, children laugh on the stone road, and the elderly rest and chat on the steps. The handicraft shops on the street are full of thangkas, wood carvings, and pottery, which makes people can't help but choose.
The 2015 earthquake hit the square hard, and many buildings were seriously damaged. Although some have been repaired, the ruins are still telling the story of the disaster. This also makes people cherish these historical sites more and more, and reminds people of the importance of protecting cultural heritage.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a visual enjoyment, spiritual baptism, and a dialogue with history. It is worth every tourist to slow down and savor it carefully.
20240615 AM:
1. Bhaktapur Durbar Square, also known as Bhaktapur Palace Square, is an ancient building complex in Bhaktapur Village, 15 kilometers from the suburbs of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is known as the "open-air museum" and "the essence and treasure house of medieval Nepalese art". In the 13th century, the Malla Kings established their capital here and built palaces, temples and other buildings. Before the 18th century, it was the political and economic center of Nepal. The scenic area is divided into three parts: the palace, the outer area of the palace, and the street area. It is a good place for viewing photography, humanities learning, worshiping Buddha, and shopping. Due to the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, the ancient buildings were severely damaged, and many buildings are currently under repair. There are three Durbar (meaning palace, reception room) squares in Nepal, which were built by the three sons of King VI of the Malla Dynasty, and the other two are in Kathmandu and Patan.
①Address: Bhaktapur Village, Kathmandu, Nepal
②Transportation: Direct bus access, easy parking by car
③Peak season: None
④Duration: 4 hours
⑤Ticket price: 500 rupees (27.8 yuan)
2. The palace is the core area of the main building complex, from the outside to the inside:
①Golden Gate: Also known as the Sun Gate, it is a gilded palace gate built by Tenajit, the last king of the Malla Dynasty. It is 8 meters high. Although small, it is exquisitely carved and incorporates totems of many ethnic groups, including the Chinese dragon. According to legend, in order to make this gate unique in the world, the king assassinated the builder of this gate after it was built. Nepal does not produce gold, and the gold used for this gate was purchased from Tibet with silver. There is a soldier guarding here. When tourists take pictures, he will hide at the door. I wanted to take a photo with him but was rejected. ②Yamadvar Chowk: The first courtyard after entering the main gate of the palace is where the king receives his subjects. There is a stone statue engraved with the guardian god Kshetrapala Chhwasa, and sacrificial offerings are scattered around. ③Talaju Goddess Temple: Built in 1553 (the 32nd year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty), it is the oldest building in this area. At that time, 99 courtyards were built, and only 6 remain, namely the Moorish Courtyard, Bailabu Courtyard, Igata Courtyard, Malati Courtyard, and Hidi Courtyard. Non-Hindus are prohibited from entering, and taking pictures is strictly prohibited. There are soldiers guarding the door. The wood carvings on the door are extremely exquisite, but unfortunately they cannot be photographed for display. Through the door, you can see that there is a large courtyard in the quadrangle style. The building enshrines the goddess Taleju Bhavani, the patron saint of the Malla dynasty, also known as the child goddess. She creates tragic scenes and horror scenes in front of several 4-7-year-old Sakya girls who have never shed blood or suffered from illness, have no birthmarks, and have neat teeth. The girl who is fearless and carefree will become the new living goddess and will be replaced after her menarche. Kumari means virgin in Hindi. The current incarnation of the living goddess is called Kumari...
The word count exceeds the limit, continue in the last picture
1
