One year after the devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake, on April 25, the Nepalese government began rebuilding many cultural heritages destroyed or damaged by this disaster.

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lays flowers at a memorial service for earthquake victims in Kathmandu. (Source: THX/TTXVN)

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has performed the foundation-laying ceremony to start the reconstruction of the Anantapur Temple at Swayambhunath Stupa, which has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Located in the heart of the capital Kathmandu, this temple welcomes thousands of visitors every year, but was flattened in the earthquake on April 25 last year.

Reconstruction work has also begun on four other monuments, including a temple in the famous town of Bhaktapur and two halls once used for royal ceremonies.

While reconstruction work has just begun at some temples, including the 5th-century Changu Narayan, Nepalese officials say it will take years before the structures can be fully restored.

A total of 741 ancient structures, including temples, towers and palaces, were destroyed or damaged in the powerful earthquakes on April 25 and May 12 last year.

The Basantapur, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, as well as the Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath and Pashupatinath temples were severely damaged in the earthquakes.

In mid-June 2015, the Nepalese government reopened UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu.

On April 24 and 25, Nepal held a ceremony to commemorate the first anniversary of the earthquake with many programs.

The ceremony took place at the Swayambhunath temple complex exactly one year after the earthquake, although the main memorial service for the victims was held on April 24, the day of remembrance in the Nepalese calendar.

Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari visited Barpak village of Gorkha district, the epicentre of the earthquake, while Prime Minister Oli met earthquake victims in Sindhupalchowk district.

The earthquake a year ago killed nearly 9,000 people, injured 22,000 and destroyed more than 900,000 homes.

About 4 million people are still living in temporary shelters after the earthquake flattened their homes.

Locals said they had to pray in makeshift huts because the monastery and temples here were all destroyed./.

According to Vietnam+