Nepal: Edmund Hillary Rides Through Kathmandu In A Horse-Drawn Carriage To Celebrate The 50Th Anniversary Of Mount Everest Conquest

Record ID: 5988

  • Title: Nepal: Edmund Hillary Rides Through Kathmandu In A Horse-Drawn Carriage To Celebrate The 50Th Anniversary Of Mount Everest Conquest
  • Date: 27th May 2003
  • Summary: On May 27, 2003, just as he did 50 years ago, Edmund Hillary rode through lanes of Kathmandu in a horse-drawn carriage, cheered by thousands of Nepalese crowding footpaths to see him. The tiny Himalayan kingdom gave a heros welcome to the 83-year-old former beekeeper from New Zealand, now Sir Edmund, to mark the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest on May 29, a feat that kicked off a tourism boom in the impoverished nation. Garlanded with marigolds, bougainvillaea and a yellow Buddhist prayer scarf, Hillary drew loud cheers and claps when he spoke at Hanuman Dhoka (the gate of the monkey god) as a band played wedding music and curious monkeys hung from temple roofs. It's a wonderful morning. We say thanks to Nepal for its warmth and generosity, Hillary told a large crowd packing the 300-year-old square lined with Hindu and Buddhist temples. About 450 summiteers were in Nepal for the anniversary, including the first woman to scale Everest, Japan's Junko Tabei, and the first man to climb alone, and without bottled oxygen, Reinhold Messner. Although organisers tried to recreate the nationwide celebrations that swept Nepal in 1953, one crucial ingredient was missing: Tenzing Norgay, the Nepali who climbed with Hillary to the 8,850 metre (20,035 feet) summit. Tenzing died in 1986, but his son and grandson, who had both reached the top of Everest themselves, were part of the celebrations. WARNING:LOCAL MUSIC LICENCES MAY APPLY. Copyright laws covering the composition, arrangement and/or performance of music differ from country to country, and even from state to state within some countries. These range from limiting the law to specific circumstances - e. g. 'performances given by professionals to a paying audience' - to total coverage that encompasses everything from a professional performance to the most amateur rendition - e. g. 'spectators at sports events'. If in doubt we recommend that either the section containing 'Music' is deleted or that the sound level is turned down and covered with commentary.
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  • Location: NEPAL KATHMANDU
  • Reuters ID: LDL0012JZU547
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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  • Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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