by Donald Wood
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Mon April 13, 2015
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, and the local government in Nepal has proposed a plan supported by the Chinese government that would connect the two nations via railway by tunneling through the legendary mountain.
According to Zhao Lei of China Daily, the plan to extend the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to the China-Nepal border was proposed last week and there is a chance it could include a tunnel that would work its way underneath Mount Everest.
When asked about what the connection between China and Nepal would mean to the local economies, Chinese Academy of Engineering rail expert, Wang Mengshu, told China Daily, "If the proposal becomes reality, bilateral trade, especially in agricultural products, will get a strong boost, along with tourism and people-to people exchanges."
The financial benefit of a railway that connects the two countries would be huge. According to The Japan Times, Chinese tourism to Nepal is booming and a direct line between the nations would result in a windfall for all parties involved. Add in the possible connection with India through Nepal that could eventually be made, and this is a smart venture.
The Chinese government is no stranger to huge construction projects, as the country built the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge (longest bridge in the world) and the Dahuofang Water Tunnel (third-longest tunnel in the world).
The report from China Daily also claims that officials believe the railway could be finished to the border by the year 2020. On the other hand, one of the major holdups remains the ever shifting landscape of the Himalayan Mountains.
A railway tunnel under Mount Everest would become a tourist attraction itself.
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