Fear of heights is no obstacle to obtaining high achievement

A fear of heights is not the best prerequisite when checking on the restoration of tall buildings. But Guo Qianru, 32, was able to compartmentalize her misgivings when checking restoration work on the nine-story high Basantapur Tower in Nepal's famous Kathmandu Durbar Square. No mean feat, considering part of her daily routine involved negotiating 20-meter scaffolding every day.

Working for the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, she was dispatched by the Chinese government in 2017 to help Nepal reconstruct the landmark tower and its auxiliary buildings which were partly destroyed during the earthquake that hit the country in April 2015.

However, when the China-aided project was given the go-ahead, Guo found she and the local cultural heritage protectors had differing opinions on whether to tear down the dilapidated exterior walls of the historical complex.