PANCHTHAR, March 24: Infrastructure is being built for the preservation and promotion of the historic Hilihang Palace of Panchthar district to develop it into a tourist destination.

Two full body statues of Hilihang king will be installed at the place. President of Hilihang Foundation, Harka Bahadur Yonghang, stated that the statue will be installed in a few days. 

The statue will be installed at a crossroad near Hilihang Palace that links the palace with Mechi Highway. The cost of this statue will be Rs 1.5 million. 

Similarly, a trophy with the statue of Hilihang King will also be made for local football competition named ‘Hilihang Goldcup’, which will be organized next month. The trophy would be worth Rs 300,000 to be contributed by local Ashok Yonghang. 

Hilihang Palace is also enlisted by the Department of Archaeology as a historic place. Efforts are being made for the development of infrastructure of this area, according to Yonghang. He added: “We are trying to develop this place into a tourist destination in near future by preserving its history.” 

The wreck of Hilihang Palace was excavated three years ago. This palace is situated in Hilihang Rural Municipality, where we can still find the instrument used by King Hilihang. The foundation stated that they will try to locate the erstwhile royal family's lost items such as cannon, sword, and dhal (shield). 

It is believed that the brick for the palace was made by Chinese workers. Hilihang was the last Limbuwan king to fight against the Gorkha king. "Study shows that Hilihang was the 18th generation king of the Limbuwan dynasty,” Yonghang said. It is said that Hilihang had made an agreement with the Gorkha king during the unification campaign of modern Nepal.

Local stated that the palace was being developed into a tourist destination by protecting and promoting the historical importance of the place. The palace is now protected by building a stone wall surrounding it. This palace, situated around two kilometers away from Mechi Highway, is spread over a large area.