Nathu La
Encyclopedia
Nathu La is a mountain pass
in the Himalayas
. It connects the Indian state
of Sikkim
with China's
Tibet Autonomous Region
. The pass, at 4,310 m (14,140 ft) above mean sea level, forms a part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road
. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan
. It is also spelled Ntula, Natu La, Nathula, or Natula.
Nathu La is one of the three trading border posts between China and India; the other two are Shipkila
in Himachal Pradesh
and Lipulekh (or Lipulech) in Uttarakhand
. Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War
, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral trade agreements. The opening of the pass is expected to bolster the economy of the region and play a key role in the growing Sino-Indian trade. Currently, agreements between the two nations limit trade across the pass to 29 types of goods from India and 15 from the Chinese side. The opening also shortens the travel distance to important Hindu
and Buddhist
pilgrimage
sites in the region.
. The Old Silk Route connects Lhasa
in Tibet
to the plains of Bengal
to the south. In 1815, trade volumes increased after the British
annexed territories belonging to the Sikkimese, Nepal
ese, and Bhutan
ese. The potential of Nathu La was realised in 1873, after the Darjeeling Deputy Commissioner
published a report on the strategic importance of mountain passes between Sikkim and Tibet. In December 1893, the Sikkimese monarchy
and Tibetan rulers signed an agreement to increase trade between the two nations. The agreement culminated in 1894 when the trade pass was opened.
Nathu La played a key role in the 1903–1904 British expedition to Tibet
, which sought to prevent the Russian Empire from interfering in Tibetan affairs and thus gaining a foothold in the region. In 1904, Major Francis Younghusband
, serving as the British Commissioner to Tibet, led a successful mission through Nathu La to capture Lhasa. This led to the setting up of trading posts at Gyantse
and Gartok
in Tibet, and gave control of the surrounding Chumbi Valley
to the British. The following November, China and Great Britain ratified an agreement approving trade between Sikkim and Tibet.
In 1947 and 1948, a popular vote for Sikkim to join newly independent India failed and Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru
agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim agreed to be a protectorate nation and Indian troops were allowed to man its borders, including Nathu La. During this period, more than 1,000 mules and 700 people were involved in cross-border trade through Nathu La. In 1949, when the Tibetan government expelled the Chinese living there, most of the displaced Chinese returned home through the Nathu La–Sikkim–Kolkata route.
With the absence of air or rail facilities in the region in the 1950s, Nathu La was used by several dignitaries to cross the international boundary between Tibet and Sikkim. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, used this pass to travel to India for the 2,500th birthday celebration of Gautama Buddha
, which was held between November 1956 and February 1957. Later, on 1 September 1958, Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi
, and Palden Thondup Namgyal
(son of—and internal affairs adviser to—Tashi Namgyal
, the Chogyal
of Sikkim) used this pass to travel to nearby Bhutan.
After the People's Republic of China
took control of Tibet in 1950 and suppressed a Tibetan uprising in 1959, the passes into Sikkim became a conduit for refugees from Tibet. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War
, Nathu La witnessed skirmishes between soldiers of the two countries. Shortly thereafter, the passage was sealed and remained closed for more than four decades. Between 7 and 13 September 1967, China's People's Liberation Army
and the Indian Army
had six-day "border skirmishes", including the exchange of heavy artillery fire. In 1975, Sikkim acceded to India and Nathu La became part of Indian territory. China, however, refused to acknowledge the accession.
In 1988, India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
visited Beijing
, where he recognised China's suzerainty
over Tibet. In 1993, Jyoti Basu
, the then Chief Minister of the Indian state of West Bengal
, initiated a campaign to reopen the Lhasa–Kalimpong route which ran through Jelep La
, to no avail. The following year, Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
's visit to China led to further talks on the opening of the pass. The talks were unsuccessful due to security concerns raised by the Indian army.
During the 1990s, bilateral trade agreements were signed by India and China that paved the way for opening of the pass. In December 1991, India and China signed the Memorandum on the Resumption of Border Trade; subsequently, in July 1992, the Protocol on Entry and Exit Procedures for Border Trade was signed. These two documents contained provisions for border trade through Nathu La. On 23 June 2003, India and China signed the Memorandum on Expanding Border Trade that provided for the use of Nathu La in border trade between India and China.
In 2003, with the thawing of Sino-Indian relations
, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
's visit to China led to the resumption of talks on opening the border. Later in 2004, the Indian Defence Minister's visit to China led to the formal opening of the pass. The opening, originally scheduled for 2 October 2005, was postponed due to last-minute infrastructure problems on the Chinese side. Finally, after a decade of talks, Nathu La was opened on 6 July 2006. The date of the re-opening coincided with the birthday of the reigning Dalai Lama, and is widely seen as a snub to the International Tibet Independence Movement
. In the years before the re-opening, the only person permitted to cross the barbed-wire frontier was a Chinese postman with an Indian military escort, who would hand over mail to his Indian counterpart in a building at the border. The event also formally recognises Tibet as part of China by India and Sikkim's accession to India.
The opening of the pass was marked by a ceremony on the Indian side that was attended by officials from both countries, including Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling
(the chief guest), the Chinese ambassador to India, and the Tibetan Autonomous Region Chairman, Champa Phuntsok. A delegation of 100 traders from India and 100 Tibetans crossed the border to respective trading towns. Despite heavy rain and chilly winds, the ceremony was marked by attendance of many officials, locals, and international and local media. The barbed wire fence between India and China was replaced by a 10 m (30 ft) wide stone-walled passageway. It was also decided to mark the year 2006 as the year of Sino-Indian friendship.
The pass is 54 km (34 mi) east of the Sikkimese capital, Gangtok
, and 430 km (270 mi) from the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Lhasa. In the winter, the pass is blocked by heavy snowfall. Because there is no meteorological centre in Nathu La, systematic measurements of meteorological data (such as temperature and rainfall) are not available for the region. However, it is known that in the higher reaches of the Himalayas around the region, summer temperature never exceeds 15 °C (59 °F).
Nathu La has moderately shallow, excessively drained, coarse and loamy soil on a steep slope (30–50%) with gravelly loamy surface, moderate erosion, and moderate stoniness. It has several sinking zones and parts of it are prone to landslide
s. To preserve the fragile environment of Nathu La on the Indian side, the government of India
regulates the flow of tourists. Road maintenance is entrusted to Border Roads Organisation
, a wing of the Indian Army. On the Chinese side the pass leads to the Chumbi Valley
of the Tibetan Plateau
.
, and finally to cold tundra
desert devoid of vegetation. Around Nathu La and the Tibetan side, the region has little vegetation besides scattered shrubs. Major species found in the region include dwarf rhododendron
s (Rhododendron anthopogon, R. setosum) and juniper
s. The meadows include the genera Poa
, Meconopsis
, Pedicularis, Primula
, and Aconitum
. The region has a four-month growing season during which grasses, sedges and medicinal herbs grow abundantly and support a host of insects, wild and domestic herbivores, larks, and finches. The nearby Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
has rare, endangered ground orchida
and rhododendrons interspersed among tall junipers and silver fir
s.
There are no permanent human settlements in the region, though it has a large number of defence personnel who man the borders on both sides. A small number of nomadic Tibetan graziers or Dokpas herd yak, sheep and pashmina
-type goats in the region. There has been intense grazing pressure due to domestic and wild herbivores on the land. Yaks are found in these parts, and in many hamlets they serve as beasts of burden
. The region around Nathu La contains many endangered species, including Tibetan gazelle
, snow leopard
, Tibetan wolf
, Tibetan snowcock
, lammergeier
, raven
, golden eagle
, and ruddy shelduck
. Feral dog
s are considered a major hazard in this region. The presence of landmines in the area causes casualties among yak, nayan
, kiang
, and Tibetan wolf.
The avifauna consists of various types of laughing thrushes
, which live in shrubs and on the forest floor. The Blue Whistling-thrush
, redstart
s, and forktail
s are found near waterfalls and hill-streams. The mixed hunting species present in the region include warbler
s, tit-babbler
s, treecreeper
s, white-eye
s, wren
s, and rose finches
. Raptors
such as black eagle
, black-winged kite
and kestrel
s; and pheasant
s such as monals and blood pheasant
are also found.
, which owned 95% of the 200 authorised firms.
To facilitate cross-border trade, the two countries have set up trading marts at Sherathang
in Sikkim (6 km (4 mi) from Nathu La) and Rinqingang
in Tibet (10 km (6 mi) from Nathu La) for the purposes of customs and checking. Trading is open Mondays through Thursdays from 07:30/11:00 to 15:30/19:00 IST
/Beijing Time
(03:00 to 13:00 UTC). The trading season starts on 1 June and continues through 30 September, when snowfall and extreme weather render the pass unfit for travel. A total of 100 traders and 60 trucks carrying goods are allowed to operate from either side of the border.
While China has not placed any restrictions on cross-border trade, India has done so, placing heavy restrictions on the commodities that are to be exported and imported. Exports from India include agricultural implements, blankets, copper products, clothes, cycles, coffee, tea, barley, rice, flour, dry fruits, vegetables, vegetable oil, molasses and candy, tobacco, snuff, spices, shoes, kerosene oil, stationery, utensils, wheat, liquor, milk processed product, canned food, cigarettes, local herb, palm oil and hardware. Chinese exports to India include goat skin, sheep skin, wool, raw silk, yak tail, yak hair, china clay, borax, butter, common salt, horses, goats, and sheep. Restrictions are also placed on traders, with permits only given to those who were Sikkimese citizens before the kingdom merged with India in 1975.
The re-opening of the pass is expected to stimulate the economy of the region and bolster Indo-Chinese trade, which amounted to US$7 billion in 2004. Before the pass was opened, almost all the Indo-China trade went through the port of Tianjin
more than 4,000 km (2,500 mi) away. With the opening, this distance has been shortened to 1,200 km (745 mi). Figures released by the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Commerce show that in the 51 days of trading in 2006, US$ 186,250 worth of trade passed through Nathu La. It is estimated that Sino-Indian trade would increase by nearly 15–20% within two years of Nathu La's opening. Trade volumes through the pass are projected to grow to Rs. 206 crore
(US$ 44.6 million) by 2007, and Rs. 12,203 crore (US$ 2.6 billion) by 2015. This slowed in later years due to deteriorating relations, primarily due to lingering land disputes over Sikkim and South Tibet
. The pass offers Chinese companies access to the port of Kolkata
(Calcutta), situated about 1,100 km (700 mi) from Lhasa, for transshipment
s to and from Tibet.
On the Chinese side, 7,000 tourists visited Yadong County in 2006 and brought in 1.67 million yuan (US$ 216,000) in revenue. On the Indian side, only citizens of India can visit the pass on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, after obtaining permits one day in advance in Gangtok. The pass would be particularly useful for pilgrims visiting monasteries in Sikkim such as Rumtek
, one of the holiest shrines in Buddhism. For Hindus, the pass reduces the journey time to Mansarovar Lake from fifteen to two days.
There are fears among some traders in India that Indian goods will find a limited outlet in Tibet, while China will have access to a ready market in Sikkim and West Bengal. A major concern of the Indian government is the trafficking of wildlife products such as tiger and leopard skins and bones, bear gall bladders, otter pelts, and shahtoosh
wool into India. The Indian government has undertaken a program to sensitise the police and other law enforcement agencies in the area. Most of such illicit trade currently takes place via Nepal.
to Yadong, and from Yadong to Nathu La—have been listed in the 2006 construction plans of the Ministry of Transportation and the Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China. Plans are also underway to start a bus service from Gangtok
to Lhasa, and to extend the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Yadong over the next decade. However, in later years the annual trade during the merchant periods was poor, especially a lack of Chinese imports. The government had to cajole the locals to trade, who cited that it was not worth it to pay the license given poor revenue. Border tensions have also deterred trade.
India is in the process of extending its railway to Sikkim
, leading many to promote the idea of connecting it with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to achieve rail transport between the two nations. A petition was set up to promote this idea. As of 26 Aug 2011, the petition had 77 members.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. It connects the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
with China's
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
. The pass, at 4,310 m (14,140 ft) above mean sea level, forms a part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
. It is also spelled Ntula, Natu La, Nathula, or Natula.
Nathu La is one of the three trading border posts between China and India; the other two are Shipkila
Shipkila
Shipkila is a mountain pass and border post on the India-China border. It is through this pass which the river Sutlej enters India ....
in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
and Lipulekh (or Lipulech) in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral trade agreements. The opening of the pass is expected to bolster the economy of the region and play a key role in the growing Sino-Indian trade. Currently, agreements between the two nations limit trade across the pass to 29 types of goods from India and 15 from the Chinese side. The opening also shortens the travel distance to important Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
sites in the region.
History
Nathu La is located on the 563 km (333 mi) Old Silk Route, an offshoot of the historic Silk RoadSilk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. The Old Silk Route connects Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
to the plains of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
to the south. In 1815, trade volumes increased after the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
annexed territories belonging to the Sikkimese, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese, and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese. The potential of Nathu La was realised in 1873, after the Darjeeling Deputy Commissioner
Deputy Commissioner
A deputy commissioner is a police or administrative official in many different countries.-Australia:In all Australian police forces, deputy commissioner is the rank directly below that of commissioner and senior to the rank of assistant commissioner except in the New South Wales Police Force, where...
published a report on the strategic importance of mountain passes between Sikkim and Tibet. In December 1893, the Sikkimese monarchy
Chogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
and Tibetan rulers signed an agreement to increase trade between the two nations. The agreement culminated in 1894 when the trade pass was opened.
British expedition to Tibet
The British expedition to Tibet during 1903 and 1904 was an invasion of Tibet by British Indian forces, whose mission was to establish diplomatic relations and trade between the British Raj and Tibet...
, which sought to prevent the Russian Empire from interfering in Tibetan affairs and thus gaining a foothold in the region. In 1904, Major Francis Younghusband
Francis Younghusband
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, KCSI, KCIE was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer...
, serving as the British Commissioner to Tibet, led a successful mission through Nathu La to capture Lhasa. This led to the setting up of trading posts at Gyantse
Gyantse
Gyantse is a town located in Gyangzê County, Shigatse Prefecture. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in the Tibet region , but there are now at least ten larger Tibetan cities.-Location:The town is strategically located in the Nyang River Valley on the ancient...
and Gartok
Gartok
Gartok is a trade-market of Tibet, situated on the bank of the Indus on the road between Shigatse and Leh, to the east of Simla. At an elevation of 14,630 ft , it is located at the base of the Kailash Range. In accordance with the Tibet treaty of 1904, Gartok, together with Yatung and Gyantse, was...
in Tibet, and gave control of the surrounding Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley is a valley in Tibet at the intersection of India , Bhutan and China in the Himalayas. Two main passes between India and China open up here: the Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass....
to the British. The following November, China and Great Britain ratified an agreement approving trade between Sikkim and Tibet.
In 1947 and 1948, a popular vote for Sikkim to join newly independent India failed and Indian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim agreed to be a protectorate nation and Indian troops were allowed to man its borders, including Nathu La. During this period, more than 1,000 mules and 700 people were involved in cross-border trade through Nathu La. In 1949, when the Tibetan government expelled the Chinese living there, most of the displaced Chinese returned home through the Nathu La–Sikkim–Kolkata route.
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, which was held between November 1956 and February 1957. Later, on 1 September 1958, Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, and Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal was the 12th and last Chogyal of Sikkim.At six, Namgyal became a student at St. Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong, but had to terminate his studies due to attacks of malaria...
(son of—and internal affairs adviser to—Tashi Namgyal
Tashi Namgyal
Tashi Namgyal was the ruling Chogyal of Sikkim from 1914 to 1963...
, the Chogyal
Chogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
of Sikkim) used this pass to travel to nearby Bhutan.
After the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
took control of Tibet in 1950 and suppressed a Tibetan uprising in 1959, the passes into Sikkim became a conduit for refugees from Tibet. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
, Nathu La witnessed skirmishes between soldiers of the two countries. Shortly thereafter, the passage was sealed and remained closed for more than four decades. Between 7 and 13 September 1967, China's People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
and the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
had six-day "border skirmishes", including the exchange of heavy artillery fire. In 1975, Sikkim acceded to India and Nathu La became part of Indian territory. China, however, refused to acknowledge the accession.
In 1988, India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
visited Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, where he recognised China's suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
over Tibet. In 1993, Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
, the then Chief Minister of the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, initiated a campaign to reopen the Lhasa–Kalimpong route which ran through Jelep La
Jelep La
Jelep La is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. The famous Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La Pass....
, to no avail. The following year, Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
's visit to China led to further talks on the opening of the pass. The talks were unsuccessful due to security concerns raised by the Indian army.
During the 1990s, bilateral trade agreements were signed by India and China that paved the way for opening of the pass. In December 1991, India and China signed the Memorandum on the Resumption of Border Trade; subsequently, in July 1992, the Protocol on Entry and Exit Procedures for Border Trade was signed. These two documents contained provisions for border trade through Nathu La. On 23 June 2003, India and China signed the Memorandum on Expanding Border Trade that provided for the use of Nathu La in border trade between India and China.
In 2003, with the thawing of Sino-Indian relations
Sino-Indian relations
Sino-Indian relations, also called Indo-China relations, refers to the bilateral relationship between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India. China and India are the world's most populous states and also fastest growing major economies...
, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
's visit to China led to the resumption of talks on opening the border. Later in 2004, the Indian Defence Minister's visit to China led to the formal opening of the pass. The opening, originally scheduled for 2 October 2005, was postponed due to last-minute infrastructure problems on the Chinese side. Finally, after a decade of talks, Nathu La was opened on 6 July 2006. The date of the re-opening coincided with the birthday of the reigning Dalai Lama, and is widely seen as a snub to the International Tibet Independence Movement
International Tibet Independence Movement
The Tibetan independence movement is a movement for the independence of the lands where Tibetan people live and the political separation of those lands from the People's Republic of China. It is principally led by the Tibetan diaspora in countries like India and the United States, and by...
. In the years before the re-opening, the only person permitted to cross the barbed-wire frontier was a Chinese postman with an Indian military escort, who would hand over mail to his Indian counterpart in a building at the border. The event also formally recognises Tibet as part of China by India and Sikkim's accession to India.
The opening of the pass was marked by a ceremony on the Indian side that was attended by officials from both countries, including Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling
Pawan Kumar Chamling
Pawan Kumar Chamling is the fifth chief minister of the Indian state of Sikkim. Chamling is the founder president of the Sikkim Democratic Front party, which has governed Sikkim for four successive terms since 1994, winning the 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009 state assembly elections.-Personal...
(the chief guest), the Chinese ambassador to India, and the Tibetan Autonomous Region Chairman, Champa Phuntsok. A delegation of 100 traders from India and 100 Tibetans crossed the border to respective trading towns. Despite heavy rain and chilly winds, the ceremony was marked by attendance of many officials, locals, and international and local media. The barbed wire fence between India and China was replaced by a 10 m (30 ft) wide stone-walled passageway. It was also decided to mark the year 2006 as the year of Sino-Indian friendship.
Geography
Gangtok
Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
, and 430 km (270 mi) from the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Lhasa. In the winter, the pass is blocked by heavy snowfall. Because there is no meteorological centre in Nathu La, systematic measurements of meteorological data (such as temperature and rainfall) are not available for the region. However, it is known that in the higher reaches of the Himalayas around the region, summer temperature never exceeds 15 °C (59 °F).
Nathu La has moderately shallow, excessively drained, coarse and loamy soil on a steep slope (30–50%) with gravelly loamy surface, moderate erosion, and moderate stoniness. It has several sinking zones and parts of it are prone to landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. To preserve the fragile environment of Nathu La on the Indian side, the government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
regulates the flow of tourists. Road maintenance is entrusted to Border Roads Organisation
Border Roads Organisation
The Border Roads Organisation maintains roads that serve the borders areas of India. It is staffed with a combination of Border Roads Engineering Service officers from the General Reserve Engineer Force and officers from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The organisation develops and...
, a wing of the Indian Army. On the Chinese side the pass leads to the Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley is a valley in Tibet at the intersection of India , Bhutan and China in the Himalayas. Two main passes between India and China open up here: the Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass....
of the Tibetan Plateau
Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau , also known as the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is a vast, elevated plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai, in addition to smaller portions of western Sichuan, southwestern Gansu, and northern Yunnan in Western China and Ladakh in...
.
Flora and fauna
Because of the steep elevation increase around the pass, the vegetation graduates from sub-tropical forest at its base, to a temperate region, to a wet and dry alpine climateAlpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
, and finally to cold tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
desert devoid of vegetation. Around Nathu La and the Tibetan side, the region has little vegetation besides scattered shrubs. Major species found in the region include dwarf rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s (Rhododendron anthopogon, R. setosum) and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
s. The meadows include the genera Poa
Poa
Poa is a genus of about 500 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass , bluegrass , tussock , and speargrass. "Poa" is Greek for fodder...
, Meconopsis
Meconopsis
Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. The species have attractive flowers and have two distinct ranges. A single species, Meconopsis cambrica , is indigenous to England, Wales, Ireland, and the fringes of Western Europe. The other 40 or so species are found in the...
, Pedicularis, Primula
Primula
Primula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
, and Aconitum
Aconitum
Aconitum , known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane, Devil's helmet or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the buttercup family .-Overview:These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly natives of the mountainous parts of the...
. The region has a four-month growing season during which grasses, sedges and medicinal herbs grow abundantly and support a host of insects, wild and domestic herbivores, larks, and finches. The nearby Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
The Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary is a National Park of India, located in East Sikkim. It is situated around the area adjoining the Tsomgo lake along the Nathula Road...
has rare, endangered ground orchida
Spathoglottis
Spathoglottis is a genus of orchids . This genus is allied to genera Acanthephippium, Bletia, Calanthe, and Phaius. This genus is abbreviated Spa in trade journals. The genus Paxtonia Lindl...
and rhododendrons interspersed among tall junipers and silver fir
Silver Fir
Abies alba, commonly known as the European silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, and south to southern Italy and northern Serbia.-Description:...
s.
There are no permanent human settlements in the region, though it has a large number of defence personnel who man the borders on both sides. A small number of nomadic Tibetan graziers or Dokpas herd yak, sheep and pashmina
Pashmina
Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh , made from Persian pashm . The wool comes from changthangi or pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and northern...
-type goats in the region. There has been intense grazing pressure due to domestic and wild herbivores on the land. Yaks are found in these parts, and in many hamlets they serve as beasts of burden
Pack animal
A pack animal or beast of burden is a working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed...
. The region around Nathu La contains many endangered species, including Tibetan gazelle
Goa (antelope)
The Goa , also known as the Tibetan Gazelle, is a species of antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau.-Description:...
, snow leopard
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
, Tibetan wolf
Tibetan wolf
The Tibetan wolf , also known as the woolly wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Central Asia from Turkestan, Tien Shan throughout Tibet to Mongolia, northern China, Shensi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the western Himalayas in Kashmir from Chitral to Lahul. They also occur in the Korean peninsula...
, Tibetan snowcock
Tibetan Snowcock
The Tibetan Snowcock is a bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. This species is found in high-altitude regions of the Western Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, where it overlaps in part with the larger Himalayan Snowcock...
, lammergeier
Lammergeier
The Lammergeier, Lammergeyer, or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus , is the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian Vulture , its closest living relative...
, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, and ruddy shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
The Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae...
. Feral dog
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
s are considered a major hazard in this region. The presence of landmines in the area causes casualties among yak, nayan
Argali
The argali, or the mountain sheep is a wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia . It is the biggest wild sheep, standing at the shoulder, measuring long and weighing , with a maximum known weight of...
, kiang
Kiang
The kiang is the largest of the wild asses. It is native to the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits montane and alpine grasslands. Its current range is restricted to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, plains of the Tibetan plateau and northern Nepal along the Tibetan border...
, and Tibetan wolf.
The avifauna consists of various types of laughing thrushes
Laughingthrush
The Laughingthrushes are the genus Garrulax of the large Old World babbler family of passerine birds. They occur in tropical Asia, with the greatest number of species occurring in the Himalaya and southern China....
, which live in shrubs and on the forest floor. The Blue Whistling-thrush
Blue Whistling-thrush
The Blue Whistling-thrush is a species of thrush in the family Turdidae. At 178 grams and 33 cm , it is believed to be the world's largest species of thrush...
, redstart
Redstart
Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
s, and forktail
Forktail
The forktails are small insectivorous birds in the genus Enicurus. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. Their name derives from their long forked tail....
s are found near waterfalls and hill-streams. The mixed hunting species present in the region include warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s, tit-babbler
Old World babbler
The Old World babblers or timaliids are a large family of mostly Old World passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
s, treecreeper
Treecreeper
The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains ten species in two genera, Certhia and Salpornis...
s, white-eye
White-eye
White-eye can refer to:*White-eye , a large family of birds.*White-eye , a species of fish.*White-eye mutation, a mutation in Drosophila melanogaster linked to the X chromosome, found by reciprocal cross breeding experiments in 1906.*A lioness member of the Marsh Pride of lions that have featured...
s, wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s, and rose finches
Rosefinch
The rosefinches are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most Carpodacus species are called "rosefinches", but the three North American species are simply called "finches". As the names imply, various shades of red are the characteristic plumage colours of this group...
. Raptors
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
such as black eagle
Black Eagle
The Black Eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical Asia and hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests...
, black-winged kite
Black-winged Kite
The Black-winged Kite is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much-smaller kestrels...
and kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
s; and pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s such as monals and blood pheasant
Blood Pheasant
The Blood Pheasant is the only species in genus Ithaginis of the pheasant family. This relatively small, short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in northern Southasia...
are also found.
Economy
Up until 1962, before the pass was sealed, goods such as pens, watches, cereals, cotton cloth, edible oils, soaps, building materials, and dismantled scooters and four-wheelers were exported to Tibet through the pass on mule-back. Two hundred mules, each carrying about 80 kg (175 lb) of load were used to ferry goods from Gangtok to Lhasa, which used to take 20–25 days. Upon return, silk, raw wool, musk pods, medicinal plants, country liquor, precious stones, gold and silverware were imported into India. Most of the trade in those days was carried out by the Marwari communityMarwaris
Marwari or Marwadi or Rajasthani people are Indian ethnic group, that inhabit the Rajasthan region of India. Their language Rajasthani is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages....
, which owned 95% of the 200 authorised firms.
To facilitate cross-border trade, the two countries have set up trading marts at Sherathang
Sherathang
Sherathang is a town in Sikkim near the Nathula Pass in India. The location has been identified as the site for excise, customs and checking for trade between India and China. Rinqingang is the corresponding location in China....
in Sikkim (6 km (4 mi) from Nathu La) and Rinqingang
Rinqingang
Rinqingang is a town in Tibet 30 km from the Nathula Pass in China. The location has been identified as the site for excise, customs and checking for trade between India and China. Sherathang is the corresponding location in India....
in Tibet (10 km (6 mi) from Nathu La) for the purposes of customs and checking. Trading is open Mondays through Thursdays from 07:30/11:00 to 15:30/19:00 IST
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
/Beijing Time
Time in China
China spans across five different standard time zones, from UTC+05:00 in the west to UTC+09:00 in the east, yet since 1949 China has only had a single standard time at UTC+08:00. The time UTC+06:00 is also used unofficially in Xinjiang and Tibet...
(03:00 to 13:00 UTC). The trading season starts on 1 June and continues through 30 September, when snowfall and extreme weather render the pass unfit for travel. A total of 100 traders and 60 trucks carrying goods are allowed to operate from either side of the border.
While China has not placed any restrictions on cross-border trade, India has done so, placing heavy restrictions on the commodities that are to be exported and imported. Exports from India include agricultural implements, blankets, copper products, clothes, cycles, coffee, tea, barley, rice, flour, dry fruits, vegetables, vegetable oil, molasses and candy, tobacco, snuff, spices, shoes, kerosene oil, stationery, utensils, wheat, liquor, milk processed product, canned food, cigarettes, local herb, palm oil and hardware. Chinese exports to India include goat skin, sheep skin, wool, raw silk, yak tail, yak hair, china clay, borax, butter, common salt, horses, goats, and sheep. Restrictions are also placed on traders, with permits only given to those who were Sikkimese citizens before the kingdom merged with India in 1975.
The re-opening of the pass is expected to stimulate the economy of the region and bolster Indo-Chinese trade, which amounted to US$7 billion in 2004. Before the pass was opened, almost all the Indo-China trade went through the port of Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
more than 4,000 km (2,500 mi) away. With the opening, this distance has been shortened to 1,200 km (745 mi). Figures released by the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Commerce show that in the 51 days of trading in 2006, US$ 186,250 worth of trade passed through Nathu La. It is estimated that Sino-Indian trade would increase by nearly 15–20% within two years of Nathu La's opening. Trade volumes through the pass are projected to grow to Rs. 206 crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
(US$ 44.6 million) by 2007, and Rs. 12,203 crore (US$ 2.6 billion) by 2015. This slowed in later years due to deteriorating relations, primarily due to lingering land disputes over Sikkim and South Tibet
South Tibet
The Arunachal Pradesh dispute is a territorial dispute over the region located on the middle of the Yarlung Zangbo River, 300 km north of the Himalayas. It is entirely administered by India as part of its Arunachal Pradesh state; China claims it as a part of its Tibet Autonomous Region and...
. The pass offers Chinese companies access to the port of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(Calcutta), situated about 1,100 km (700 mi) from Lhasa, for transshipment
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
s to and from Tibet.
Rumtek Monastery
Rumtek , also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok...
, one of the holiest shrines in Buddhism. For Hindus, the pass reduces the journey time to Mansarovar Lake from fifteen to two days.
There are fears among some traders in India that Indian goods will find a limited outlet in Tibet, while China will have access to a ready market in Sikkim and West Bengal. A major concern of the Indian government is the trafficking of wildlife products such as tiger and leopard skins and bones, bear gall bladders, otter pelts, and shahtoosh
Shahtoosh
Shahtoosh is the name given to a specific kind of shawl, which is woven with the down hair of the Tibetan antelope , by the weavers of Kashmir.- Characteristics :...
wool into India. The Indian government has undertaken a program to sensitise the police and other law enforcement agencies in the area. Most of such illicit trade currently takes place via Nepal.
Transport
On the Tibetan side, two highways—from KangmarKangmar County
Kangmar County is a county of the Xigazê Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Gala Co lake is located in Kangmar County....
to Yadong, and from Yadong to Nathu La—have been listed in the 2006 construction plans of the Ministry of Transportation and the Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China. Plans are also underway to start a bus service from Gangtok
Gangtok
Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
to Lhasa, and to extend the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Yadong over the next decade. However, in later years the annual trade during the merchant periods was poor, especially a lack of Chinese imports. The government had to cajole the locals to trade, who cited that it was not worth it to pay the license given poor revenue. Border tensions have also deterred trade.
India is in the process of extending its railway to Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, leading many to promote the idea of connecting it with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to achieve rail transport between the two nations. A petition was set up to promote this idea. As of 26 Aug 2011, the petition had 77 members.
See also
- Baba Harbhajan SinghBaba Harbhajan SinghCaptain "Baba" Harbhajan Singh was an Indian army soldier who died near the Nathula Pass in eastern Sikkim, India. He is revered by the soldiers of the Indian army, who have built a shrine in his honour...
- Dongkha La
- Lake TsongmoLake TsongmoTsongmo Lake or Changu Lake is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim, India, some away from Gangtok at altitude of .The road to Nathu La passes the lake on north side. The Chinese border crossing is only some east-northeast in a straight line, but some by road.Indian Postal Service released a...
- Khunjerab PassKhunjerab PassKhunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region within the disputed region of Kashmir and on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China...
(the only other major border pass to China open in South AsiaSouth AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
) - Nathu La incident
Further reading
- Carrington, Michael, "Officers Gentlemen and Thieves: The Looting of Monasteries during the 1903/4 Younghusband Mission to Tibet", Modern Asian Studies 37, 1 (2003), pp. 81–109.