Introducing Mystery Class #7 Khumjung, Nepal (27.833 N, 86.733 E) Map of Solu Khumbu Region Greetings from Mystery Class #7, located within the Everest Region (or Solu Khumbu region, as it is locally known), is Khumjung, Nepal! Roughly rectangular in shape, the Kingdom of Nepal is situated between China in the north and India in the south. The land extends approximately 885 km east to west, and 193 km north to south, with an area of about 145, 391 square kilometers. The Khumbu Region is the second most popular trekking area in Nepal (the Annapurna is the first). The popularity of this region is derived from its proximity to the world's highest mountain, and from its Sherpa people and buddhist monasteries. Children of Khumjung All students in this region of Nepal have access to school. School runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays. Children will travel up to four hours to attend school and stay at the homes of relatives, friends or in the nearby lodges. They return home on Friday afternoon and go back again Sunday morning in time for class. Sir Edmund Hillary built the original school in the Solu Khumbu region in Khumjung. Since then several buildings have been added to represent the new Khumjung Secondary School. Approximately 300 students are registered in grades one to ten. The students range in age from six to 18 years This school offers the only high school in the region. There are several buildings which allow the different grades to be separated. Each building has one or two rooms. The subjects offered are Math, English, Nepali, Social History, Environment, Health, and Physical Education. The students usually have one hour of homework each night. After grade ten some students will continue their studies in Kathmandu. Khumjung School Children of Khumjung The school is built of stone, has no heating, no electrical lighting and no bathrooms. The only source of lighting is a small skylight in the roof. The students sit on a long bench and their desk is a taller plank bench. Some rooms have a portable chalkboard and some rooms used painted planks attached to the wall. The students have textbooks to assist their studies and enjoy drawing pictures as most rooms have them hanging from string along the ceiling. The schoolyards are large dirt fields with no playground equipment. Most games involve drawing in the dirt, using rocks or sticks as writing instruments. Some students like to play volleyball and track and field events.   Map of Nepal Hiking above Khumjung Khumjung Village Buddhism in the Khumbu Region The most prominent religion in the Khumbu region is Buddhism. Buddhism is believed to have been introduced in the Khumbu region towards the end of the 17th century by Lama Sange Dorjee, the fifth incarnate of the Rongphu Monastery, also called the Rongbuk Monastery, in Tibet. According to the legend, he flew over the Himalayas and landed on a rock at Pangboche and Thyangboche, leaving his footprints embedded on the stone. He is thought to have been responsible for the founding of the first gompa (monasteries) in the Khumbu region. Stupas (structures that invite peace) also act as places of worship and praise and are an intregal part of the spiritual life. Two Stupas in the Center of Khumjung Khumjung Monestary Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form