Nathu La

Pass

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Nathu La ( La Natoi, also Nathula; Nepali: ? नाथू ला, Nathu Laa / i ) is a mountain pass on the Indo- Tibetan border, which connects the Indian state of Sikkim with the Tibet Autonomous Region (China). He was part of the southern route of the Silk Road, but was closed in 1962 due to the Indian -Chinese border war. In July 2006, the pass was reopened.

Geography

The Nathu La Pass is located 56 km east of Sikkim's capital Gangtok at an altitude of 4545 m and is about 460 km from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and 550 km from the Indian port city of Kolkata removed. Unlike the only 5 km away Jelep La Pass, the Nathu La Pass is impassable in winter due to the heavy snowfall and temperatures below -25 ° C are common.

The road from Gangtok Nathu La after which one of the highest motorable roads in the world, is very scenic. The vegetation changes from subtropical forests to alpine climates up to the tundra and cold desert in the high mountains. On the Chinese side of the trail continues to Chumbi valley on the Tibetan plateau.

History

Nathu La was used in ancient times as a branch of the Silk Road which connected Lhasa with the Bengali level. After 1815, the British territories of Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan had annexed, trade across the pass increased significantly. In December 1893 trade treaty between the Kingdom of Sikkim and Tibet was completed, which guaranteed the flow of goods across the Nathu La.

In September 1904, the British colonial rulers joined with Tibet an agreement that not only allowed access to the Chumbi Valley, but also the establishment of trading posts in the Tibetan cities Gyantse and Gartok the British. This contract but was forced by the British under massive pressure after the British explorer Francis Younghusband the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso sold and the capital Lhasa had taken. Subsequent negotiations confirmed China's suzerainty over Tibet, in November 1904 joined the British a trade agreement with China.

In the early 1950s took over the newly founded People's Republic of China more and more control over Tibet. This in 1959 led to a popular uprising that was bloodily suppressed. At this time the Nathu La Pass served as an escape for many Tibetans. However, due to the Indian -Chinese border war in which Nathu La was the scene of several battles between the warring forces, the passport as well as other border crossings between India and China in 1962 has been closed.

Only after more than twenty years it came back to a rapprochement between the two countries. In 1992 it was suggested that the connection Lhasa - Kalimpong reopen. But it took another eleven years were taken up formal discussions about a possible opening of the border. Finally, in 2004, came to a conclusion of these discussions and there was an opening of the Nathu La in October 2005 agreed. But organizational problems on the part of China delayed the ceremonial opening of the border until July 6, 2006. To open the passport were official representatives of both states, as well as 100 traders from India and Tibet, the recovery, by their border-crossing trade relations between the two regions, present.

In 2009, the first country data cable between India and China was moved across the Nathu La.

Nathu La, seen from Kalimpong