The Buddhist Association of China has sent blessings to victims of the earthquake that convulsed Nepal and Tibet as close to 200 monks and lay Buddhists took part in a dharma assembly on Monday.

"The Buddhists in China and Nepal have solid friendships in history. We are saddened to learn about the damage caused by the earthquake, and we wish the people will recover from it as soon as possible," said the Venerable Master Xuecheng, president of the association.

Nepal is home to the first overseas Buddhist temple under the association, which was launched in 2000. The country is also regarded as the birthplace of the Buddha by Buddhist traditions.

Xuecheng, who has paid three visits to the country, said he was impressed with the simple lifestyle and high happiness index among its people.

The association gathered a donation of 2.2 million yuan ($354,000) through the assembly and has called on Buddhist followers across the country to show their continuous support to victims.