BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhuanet) -- The earthquake in Nepal took away centuries-old traditional valuables in a matter of seconds. Almost all buildings of cultural and heritage importance are damaged. And even as the attention remains on people, the next struggle for Nepal is to bring back its heritage.

Young boys and girls are trying to recover whatever is left of the Durbar Square?

Most of the monuments, temples, building of cultural importance are damaged? For the people of Nepal, it's a part of their life taken.

Kashish Das Shrestha, is the director of the City Museum and 4th generation photographer. The museum was set -up with an aim of documenting Nepal's heritage and most of it is now gone.

"Pretty much, all the heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley are severely damaged. But there are also sites outside the valley that I think we will slowly get the sense of what the damage has been like in other sites, in other palaces in other temples outside of Kathmandu," Kashish said.

Kathmandu valley is a like a museum. It has seven UNESCO heritage sites - the largest number for one single city. And even as its government struggles to get back its people up on their feet, it will also have to pay attention in getting back its history.

Among the many landmarks destroyed is the nine-story Dharahara tower. Built in 1832, the tower was where a lot of Nepalese spent Saturday afternoons and at least 60 people lost their lives under it.

The Durbar square is heavily damaged too. Built between the12th and 18th centuries, it's where a number of festivals in Nepal are held. It was known as the open museum of Nepalese architecture and culture.

The ancient city of Bhaktapur was once the capital of Nepal. Most of the 12th century treasures in this town has either fallen or has been damaged. The entire city will have to be rebuilt.

Christian Manhart, the head of UNESCO in Nepal, says it's a massive loss, to not just Nepal but the world.

"Losing the material expression of this living culture for them is a dramatic loss and therefore we are also at the risk of losing the intangible heritage of its people. Then of course, it's a loss for the entire humankind because it's a unique heritage. We have nowhere in the world something similar," Manhart siad.

UNESCO has been asked by the Nepalese government to assess the loss which is not just in Kathmandu but sites around the country. Ten percent of Nepal's GDP comes from tourism - and a large part of it through these monuments.

Back in his studio, Kashish is making an action plan with other organizations to start rebuilding the sites. He is optimistic.

"These earthquakes have always been part of Kathmandu valley or Nepal because of the seismological zone we live in and we have this culture of the living heritage where these families that have built these monuments, these heritage, for generations have been rebuilding it. So, the hope now is despite the dramatic damage that we have seen won't be as challenging over time," Kashish said.

The tiled roofs and temples were what made Nepal. The architectural marvels that these sites were will take a long time to get back to its original glory.

(Source: CNTV.cn)