Aniko: The Nepali Artist Who Bridged Himalayas and Empires

Today, we’ll talk about Aniko, a young genius from Nepal whose journey across the Himalayas in the 13th century significantly influenced Chinese art, architecture, and the cultural friendship between China and Nepal.

Transcript

Aniko: The Nepali Artist Who Bridged Himalayas and Empires

Today, we’ll talk about Aniko, a young genius from Nepal whose journey across the Himalayas in the 13th century significantly influenced Chinese art, architecture, and the cultural friendship between China and Nepal.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal, a book launch ceremony for Seventy Years of Harmonious Relations was held at the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing on September 20. Published by the Nepal-China Media Forum, this book provides a comprehensive and vivid bilingual account (in Chinese and Nepali) of the history of friendly exchanges between the two countries.

The book not only systematically reviews the major milestones in the development of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1955 but also, through numerous vivid case studies and precious photographs, explores multiple dimensions such as economic trade, infrastructure, cultural exchanges, educational cooperation, and people-to-people interactions.

The author, Kishor Shrestha, Chairman of Nepal-China Media Forum and editor-in-chief of Jana Aastha National Weekly explained in his speech that the compilation of the book involved extensive and meticulous research, with all content rigorously verified and presented from an objective and neutral standpoint. The historical photos, archival documents, and analytical interpretations included in the book faithfully recreate the warm and enduring friendship between the two nations over the past seventy years.

In the autumn of 2025, as China and Nepal celebrated the 70th anniversary of their modern diplomatic ties, leaders of both countries spoke warmly about their long history of friendship. They noted that while borders and mountains separated them, culture and human exchange had always tied them together. For many Chinese and Nepalis, this bond is embodied in the life of one extraordinary man: Aniko, the master artist from Nepal who lived more than seven centuries ago.

Born in 1244 in the fertile Kathmandu Valley, Aniko – also known as Arniko or Araniko – would go on to spend over forty years in China. His art left a permanent mark on Buddhism, architecture, painting, and sculpture, not only in the Yuan Dynasty but also in centuries to come. Even today, his story continues to be told as a symbol of how human creativity can bridge nations and civilizations.

The records about Aniko’s early life are sparse in Nepalese sources, but Chinese chronicles, tomb inscriptions, and later historical works provide remarkable detail. Scholars believe he was born in Patan, a city famed for its sculptors and artisans, under the rule of King Abhaya Malla. Patan, with its intricate temples and bronze workshops, was the ideal cradle for a boy destined to master sacred art. 

Legend tells us that when he was only three years old, his parents took him to a Buddhist stupa. The little boy stared at the towering structure and asked, “Who built its pillars, its base, and its body?” His precocious curiosity startled those around him, who saw in him a budding genius. By seven, Aniko’s maturity impressed even the elders of his community. He excelled in writing and calligraphy, absorbing knowledge with astonishing ease. As he grew, his talents expanded beyond books. He became a painter, a sculptor, and a master craftsman in bronze casting and religious iconography. Before he was even an adult, Aniko had already gained a reputation as a remarkable artist in Nepal.

The turning point in Aniko’s life came in 1260. That year, Kublai Khan – grandson of Genghis Khan – ascended to the throne and began consolidating power in China. Deeply interested in Tibetan Buddhism, Kublai Khan ordered his spiritual teacher, Phagpa, the fifth patriarch of the Sakya school, to build a golden stupa in Xizang in memory of his predecessor. Phagpa turned to Nepal, famous for its artisans skilled in both architecture and sculpture. He requested one hundred craftsmen, but the king of Nepal could only manage to provide eighty. These men were to cross the mountains into Xizang for the great task.

Among them, a leader had to be chosen. The older craftsmen hesitated; the journey was long and dangerous. But a 17-year-old stepped forward with boldness. “My body may be young,” he told the king, “but my mind is not.” That young man was Aniko, and against all expectations, he was entrusted with leading the expedition.

Arriving in Xizang, Aniko quickly impressed Phagpa with his brilliance and organizational skills. He oversaw the construction of the golden stupa, which was completed to great acclaim. But when he asked to return home, Phagpa refused. The lama had bigger plans. Kublai Khan had just secured his throne after defeating his brother in a bitter civil war. At his side, Phagpa sought to strengthen Buddhism across the empire. Yet China lacked artists skilled in Himalayan tantric iconography. Phagpa saw in Aniko not just a craftsman, but a bridge between worlds, so he persuaded the young man to follow him to the Mongol court instead of returning to Nepal.

In 1262, Aniko arrived at Kublai’s capital in Shangdu, known to Europeans as Xanadu. Soon after, he was tasked with repairing a bronze acupuncture figure dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty. The project took two years of delicate work. When it was unveiled, the restoration was so perfect that word of his genius spread throughout the court.

Aniko’s crowning achievement came when he was commissioned to design a grand Buddhist structure in Kublai Khan’s new capital, Dadu – today’s Beijing. The result was the White Stupa of Miaoying Temple, a dazzling architectural marvel that would dominate the city’s skyline for centuries. The stupa stands over fifty meters tall, with a broad base more than thirty meters across. 

Thirteen massive rings climb its body, symbolizing the “thirteen heavens.” At its top, a bronze canopy is adorned with thirty-six bells that sing in the wind, while a miniature bronze stupa crowns the summit. Completed after nearly a decade of labor, the White Stupa became a lasting emblem of Buddhism in northern China. Even in 2019, before a state visit to Nepal, Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned both Aniko and the White Stupa as symbols of enduring friendship between the two nations.

Kublai Khan recognized Aniko’s brilliance. He not only freed him from monastic vows but also appointed him as head of the imperial artisans, with the title of darughachi, or overseer. This gave him authority over craftsmen throughout the empire. Under his leadership, Nepalese and Tibetan artistic styles fused with Chinese traditions, creating a vibrant new aesthetic that defined Yuan Dynasty art. 

Over the decades, Aniko oversaw the construction of temples, stupas, Confucian shrines, and Taoist halls. He supervised the crafting of countless sculptures and ritual objects for the imperial court. By the end of his life, records credit him with at least three stupas, nine major Buddhist temples, two Confucian temples, a Daoist sanctuary, and numerous royal statues. 

Aniko was also a painter. Portraits of Kublai Khan and his empress Chabi, preserved in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, are attributed to him. These works broke with older conventions by emphasizing realistic features and individuality, setting the stage for a new tradition in Chinese portraiture.

Aniko died in 1306 at the age of sixty-two. The Yuan court honored him with the noble title of Duke of Liang, posthumously naming him “Wise and Perceptive.” Two of his six sons continued his work at the imperial court, ensuring his artistic lineage lived on. Later historians recognized Aniko as one of the few foreigners whose life merited a full biography in official Chinese dynastic histories. His epitaph remains one of the richest sources on his life.

Art historians often describe Chinese Buddhist art as shaped by three great waves of foreign influence: Gandhara art before the Tang Dynasty, Gupta art during the Tang, and Pala-Himalayan art during the Yuan. Aniko was the central figure of this third wave. His fusion of Nepalese delicacy, Pala sophistication, and Chinese structural elegance defined an era that continued to echo in the religious art of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 

His approach to portraiture also left a long imprint. By depicting rulers with realism rather than symbolic abstraction, Aniko helped chart a course that later evolved into more lifelike imperial portraits – an artistic trend that resonated with European traditions when East and West eventually encountered each other.

Centuries after his death, Aniko is still remembered on both sides of the Himalayas. In the 1960s, a major highway linking Kathmandu to the Chinese border was named the Araniko Highway. In 1972, Nepal issued postage stamps depicting him holding brushes and plans, with the White Stupa rising in the background. In 2002, a statue of seventeen-year-old Aniko was placed in Miaoying Temple in Beijing, where he had built his masterpiece. And during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Nepal’s national pavilion was named the Araniko Center in his honor. Through these commemorations, Aniko remains more than just a historical figure. He is remembered as a living bridge across time and geography, a symbol of how art and faith can transcend borders.

Aniko’s life reminds us that cultural exchange is not new. Long before airplanes and high-speed trains, a teenager dared to cross the world’s tallest mountains, carrying with him skills, ideas, and imagination. What he built in China was not just stone and bronze, but trust and admiration between peoples. As China and Nepal continue to deepen their modern partnership, the story of Aniko offers both countries a reminder of their shared history. The White Stupa still gleams under the Beijing sky, and in it, one can still see the vision of a young Nepali artist who chose courage over comfort and left behind a legacy that endures to this day.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.