Ancient Buddhist center hungry for Chinese investments

Crossing a 15-kilometer bridge over the Ganges in the northern part of this Indian city, a group of Chinese guests felt like crossing the Yellow River in a remote northern Chinese province 30 years ago.

On the northern side of the Ganges here, the landscape is nothing but drab and primitive with flood-ravaged terrain, wild forests and desolate villages.

On the roads rickety vehicles, which you only see in old movies, are packed to the rafters, many of the passengers sitting on top of the vehicles or dangling precariously on the sides holding on to dear life as they cling to the window sills or whatever they can grasp with their hands.

Cows and oxen can be seen moving slowly on the road. One or two camels and elephants carrying goods as beasts of burden can be spotted from time to time. Horse or donkey-drawn carts are widely used for carrying agricultural produce to the markets.

Being one of the poorest in India, this area, however, is known as the original site of the first recorded activities of Siddhartha, or Buddha, that made it once the center of the Maurya Empire of India in the 3rd century BC and visited by pilgrims from China and other countries some 1,500 years ago.

The Museum of Patna has a special chamber where a casket reportedly containing the corporeal relics of the Buddha is housed.

The area is also close to Nalanda, the ancient university town where 7th century Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuan Zang once studied.

Despite its rich cultural heritage, the area has remained poor and underdeveloped but local officials in the eastern Indian state of Bihar are now trying to attract foreign investments and revive its old glory.

There are now serious efforts to transform the state's agriculture-based economy into one that will be anchored on industrial and trade-based development through investments in food processing, manufacturing, mining and other export products.

During a meeting with a joint delegation from the Chinese Embassy and Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata led by Chinese Ambassador to India Wei Wei this week, the local chapter of the Indian Chamber of Commerce expressed its great interest in promoting cooperation with Chinese enterprises, particularly those involved in food processing, tourism, traditional medicines, and exports.

With very few foreign investors venturing into this area of India so far, local businessmen believe Bihar, the third most populous state of the country, has a lot of space and opportunities for foreign investors now and in future, considering its high density population, huge market potential and great human resources.

"Before the state did not need much investment since its agriculture-based economy was self-sustaining but now the situation has changed and they have a catching up to do along with the rest of India," said one local businessman.

The state is still in its preliminary phase of setting up industries which can be listed in the Indian stock exchange and produce goods for export.