Tibetan Mustang: A Cultural Renaissance

Words and photographs evoke the remote beauty of Nepal’s Mustang region.

The ancient ＂hidden kingdom＂ of Mustang has been part of Nepal since the late eighteenth century. In recent years, it has emerged as a model for how communities can conserve historical art and strengthen both their cultural heritage and contemporary society.

Tibetan Mustang celebrates the region and its cultural heritage through beautifully reproduced photographs by Luigi Fieni and Kenneth Parker that document the cultural revival of the region. They document the sacred temples that dominate the medieval capital, Lo Monthang, showing how centuries of deterioration have been reversed through a careful restoration project led mainly by Fieni. Over the course of more than twenty years, Fieni worked with the local Loba people, whom he trained in Western conservation methods, to repair damage and bring the interiors and their detailed murals back to their ancient glory. The restoration of the sacred murals has also helped drive a reawakening of Buddhist traditions in Mustang, which Fieni and Parker document both visually and through accounts of the cultural and religious life of the Loba. The resulting book is a celebration of one of the world’s most beautiful places and the life, spirituality, and culture that have long flourished there.

Luigi Fieni is a photographer and conservator who works to restore ancient Buddhist art across Asia. Kenneth Parker is a photographer and climate scientist who works in large format and principally in remote areas.