View source for Nathu La

{{short description|Mountain pass on the Sikkim, India–China border}}
{{Distinguish|Naku La}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Nathu La
| photo = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Location of Nathula.svg
| photo2a = Nathu La, a mountain pass in the Himalayas on the Indo-China Border.jpg
| photo3a = Nathula Pass Border trade road - panoramio.jpg
| size = 260
| spacing = 2
| color = white
| border = 0
| color_border = \
| text =
| text_background =
| foot_montage =
}}
| photo_caption =Chumbi Valley visible from the Indian side (center). The main gate between the two sides (bottom). The stone walls were constructed in a build-up to the 2006 reopening.<ref name="Friendship" />
| elevation_m = 4310
| elevation_ref =<ref name="OSM" />{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=32}}
| traversed =
| location = [[Sikkim]], India – [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], China
| range = [[Dongkya Range]], [[Himalaya]]
| map = India Sikkim#China Tibet
| label_position = top
| coords = {{coord|27.38681|N|88.83095|E|type:pass|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| topo =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| order =
| s =
| t =
| p =
}}

'''Nathu La'''{{efn|Alternative spellings and variations include '''Nathu-la''',{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=ix}} '''Nathula''',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gokhale |first=Nitin A.|title=Hallelujah, Nathula! |newspaper=Outlook India |date=3 October 2003 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/hallelujah-nathula/221603 }}</ref> '''Natu La''',<ref>
[https://books.google.com/books?id=7ee9OTGEspwC&pg=PP1 India, Sikkim], United States, Central Intelligence Agency, 1981.
</ref>
'''Natö-la''', '''Natöla''',<ref>
{{citation |last=Shakabpa |first=Tsepon Wangchuk Deden |title=One Hundred Thousand Moons: An Advanced Political History of Tibet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lGyrymfDdI0C |year=2009 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-17732-1 |ref={{sfnref|Shakabpa, One Hundred Thousand Moons|2009}} |page=643}}
</ref> '''Natoi La''',<ref>
{{citation |title=Sessional papers. Inventory control record 1, Volume 67 |publisher=Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons |year=1904 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6hVHAQAAMAAJ&q=%22natoi+la |page=28}}: "Yatung is situated about eight miles from the Jeylap-la in the valley of the Yatung Chhu at its junction with the Chamdi Chhu which runs down from '''Natoi-la'''."</ref> '''Nathui La''',{{sfn|Smith|1913|pp=325–327}} '''Gnatui''',{{sfn|Edgar|1874|pp=53, 57, 121}} as well as its Tibetan transcription '''Rnathos La'''.<ref>
{{citation |title=Opening of new pilgrimage route in Tibet by China makes it easier for Indian pilgrims |newspaper=Jiefang Daily |date=29 October 2015 |url=https://niasindiainchina.in/wp-content/uploads/kalins-pdf/singles/china-opens-new-pilgrimage-route-lowers-threshold-for-indian-prayers-into-tibet.pdf |via=India in the Chinese Media (niasindiainchina.in)}}
</ref> and a Chinese transliteration '''Natuila'''.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=149}}}}<!--      END LONG FOOTNOTE        -->({{bo|t=རྣ་ཐོས་ལ་|w=Rna thos la|s=Na tö la}}, [[Sikkimese language|Sikkimese]]: རྣ་ཐོས་ལ་) is a [[mountain pass]] in the [[Dongkya Range]] of the [[Himalayas]] between China's [[Yadong County]] in Tibet, and the Indian states of [[Sikkim]]. The pass, at {{convert|4310|m|abbr=on}}, connects the towns of [[Kalimpong]] and [[Gangtok]] to the villages and towns of the lower [[Chumbi Valley]].

The pass was surveyed by [[John Ware Edgar|J. W. Edgar]] in 1873, who described the pass as being used for trade by Tibetans. [[Francis Younghusband]] used the pass in 1903–04, as did a diplomatic British delegation to Lhasa in 1936–37, and [[Ernst Schäfer]] in 1938–39. In the 1950s, trade in the [[Kingdom of Sikkim]] used this pass. Diplomatically sealed by China and India after the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]], the pass saw skirmishes between the two countries in coming years, including the [[Nathu La and Cho La clashes|clashes in 1967]] which resulted in fatalities on both sides. Nathu La has often been compared to [[Jelep La]], a mountain pass situated at a distance of 3 miles (4.8&nbsp;km).

The next few decades saw an improvement in ties leading to the re-opening of Nathu La in 2006. The opening of the pass provides an alternative route to the pilgrimage of [[Mount Kailash]] and [[Lake Manasarovar]], and was expected to bolster the economy of the region by playing a key role in the growing Sino-Indian trade. However, while trade has had a net positive impact, it under-performed,<ref>[https://theleaflet.in/nathula-pass-border-trade-a-potential-waiting-to-be-tapped/ Economic under performance]</ref> and is limited to specific types of goods and to specific days of the week. Weather conditions including heavy snowfall restricts border trade to around 7 to 8 months.

Roads to the pass have been improved on both sides. Rail routes have been brought closer. It is part of the domestic tourist circuit in south-east Sikkim. Soldiers from both sides posted at Nathu La are among the closest along the entire Sino-India border. It is also one of the five [[Border Personnel Meeting point]]s between the two armies of both countries. [[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes|2020 border tensions]] and the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus pandemic]] have affected tourism and movement across the pass.

== Name and meaning ==
The name "Nathu La" is traditionally interpreted as "the whistling pass",<ref>{{Cite book |last=O'Brien |first=Derek |author-link=Derek O'Brien (politician) |chapter=India. Major Passes |title=The Puffin Factfinder |publisher=Penguin UK |date=2011 |isbn=978-81-8475-878-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QBI4Z-UMpJAC }}</ref> or more commonly as the "listening ears pass".<ref name="toi-1">{{cite news |last=Pradhan |first=Keshav |date=6 July 2006 |title=In the good ol' days of Nathu-la |page=10 |work=[[The Times of India]], Mumbai |publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-the-good-ol-days-of-Nathu-la/articleshow/1709108.cms |quote=Today the 85-year-old Nima recalls how he and his companions literally dragged the mules over the pass – which means listening ears – singing to keep their spirits high.}}
</ref>{{sfn|Arora|2008|p=4}} The Chinese government explains it as "a place where snow is deepest and the wind strongest".<ref name="Chinese Embassy">{{Cite web |date=4 June 2019 |title=Chinese Embassy Publishes Tibet Advertorial in Indian Media |url=http://in.chineseembassy.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609024749/http://in.china-embassy.org/eng/gdxw/t1669516.htm |archive-date=9 June 2019 |access-date=2021-10-27 |website=in.chineseembassy.org (中华人民共和国驻印度共和国大使馆; Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India ) |quote=In Tibetan language, Nathula means a place where the "snow is deepest and the wind strongest".}}</ref> According to [[G. S. Bajpai]], it means "flat ground from where the hill features gradually rise to right and left".{{sfn|Bajpai|1999|p=183-184}} Lepcha people who are native to the region call it ma-tho hlo/na tho lo; which may have possibly evolved to the present usage of the word.

==Geography==
[[File:1923_SoI_map_of_lower_Chumbi_Valley.jpg|thumb|right|290px|Map of south-east Sikkim and lower Chumbi Valley ([[Survey of India]], 1923): Nathu La, labelled 'Natu La', depicted with a cart track passing through it.]]
Nathu La is a mountain pass on the [[Dongkya Range]] that separates Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley at an elevation of {{convert|14250|ft|m}}.<ref name="Waddell">
{{citation |last=Waddell |first=L. Austin |author-link=Laurence Waddell |title=Lhasa and its Mysteries |year=1905 |location=London |publisher=John Murray |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.79988 |via=archive.org |ref={{sfnref |Waddell, Lhasa and its Mysteries|1905}} |page=106}}: "For this, the Nathu Pass (14,250 feet), a goat-track, 10 miles to the north of the Jelep and over the same ridge, was opened out by Mr White."
</ref>{{Efn|Other elevations mentioned include {{convert|14140|ft|m}},<ref name="OSM">
{{Cite web |title=Node: Nathu La (3179568394) |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3179568394 |access-date=2021-10-25 |website=OpenStreetMap}}
</ref> and {{convert|14790|ft|m}}.{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=43}}}} <!-- END OF LONG FOOTNOTE --> The pass is {{convert|52|-|54|km}} east of [[Gangtok]], the capital of Sikkim,<ref name="Prospect">
{{cite news |last=Saha |first=Sambit |date=8 September 2003 |title=Trading post: Prospects of Nathu-La |work=[[Rediff.com]] |url=http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/sep/08trading.htm |url-status=live |access-date=4 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060224111833/http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/sep/08trading.htm |archive-date=24 February 2006 |df=dmy-all}}
</ref>{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=43}} and {{convert|35|km|mi}} from [[Yatung Shasima]], the headquarters of the [[Yadong County]] (or the [[Chumbi Valley]]).<ref>
[https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=fossgis_osrm_car&route=27.38681%2C88.83096%3B27.48930%2C88.90506#map=12/27.4381/88.8749&layers=C Nathu La to Yatung], OpenStreetMap, retrieved 26 October 2021.</ref>

Nathu La is one of the three frequently-used passes between Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley, the other two being [[Cho La (Sikkim and Tibet)|Cho La]] and [[Jelep La]]. Historically, Nathu La served Gangtok, while Cho La served the former Sikkim capital [[Tumlong]] and Jelep La served [[Kalimpong]] in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite book|title=Narratives of the mission of George Bogle to Tibet, and of the journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa|last=Markham|first=Clements R|year=1876|location=London|publisher=Trubner|page=civ|url=https://archive.org/details/narrativesmissi00manngoog}}</ref> Nathu La is mere {{convert|3|mi|km}} northwest of Jelep La, as the crow flies,<ref name=Brown>
{{citation |last=Brown |first=Percy |title=Tours in Sikhim and the Darjeeling District |editor-last=Townsend |editor-first=Joan |edition=Revised |publisher=W. Newman & Co |location=Calcutta |year=1934 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.2586/page/144 |via=archive.org |page=144}}</ref> but the travel distance could be as much as {{convert|10|mi}}.<ref name="Waddell" /> On the Tibetan side, the Chola route led to [[Chumbi]], the Nathu La route led to a village called [[Chema, Tibet|Chema]] and the Jelep La route led to [[Rinchengang]], all in the lower Chumbi Valley.

Even today, heavy snowfall causes the closure of the pass, with temperatures as low as {{convert|-25|C|F}} and strong winds.{{sfn|Hasija|2012|p=6}}

==History==
The Nathu La and Jelep La passes were part of the trade routes of the [[British Empire]] during the 19th and early 20th century.{{sfn|Arora|2008|p=4}}

=== British Empire ===
The British Raj [[Treaty of Tumlong|brought]] the Kingdom of Sikkim under their protectorate in 1861 and wished to promote trade with Tibet through Sikkim.
In 1873, [[John Ware Edgar|J. W. Edgar]], the [[Deputy commissioner]] at [[Darjeeling]], was asked to investigate the trading conditions and make recommendations for a preferred route.{{sfn|Arora|2008|p=9}} Edgar reported active trade running through the Nathu La pass ("Gnatui pass" in his terminology), which was linked to Gangtok as well as Darjeeling.<ref>
{{harvnb|Edgar|1874|p=32}}: "There was scarce a day during my stay in East Sikkim that I did not meet people either coming from, or on their way to, Darjeeling with goods, the value of which at first sight seemed quite disproportioned to the labour that had to be undergone in taking them to market."</ref>
The traders found significantly higher value for their goods at Darjeeling than at Gangtok.{{sfn|Edgar|1874|p=32}} However, Edgar preferred the neighbouring Jelep La pass on physical grounds, and recommended building a road to that pass along with a trade mart close to it.{{sfn|Arora|2008|p=10}}
Edgar wrote,
{{Blockquote|text=On the whole, I am not inclined to recommend that Guntuck [Gangtok] should be chosen for the mart, and rather think that ... Dumsong [Damsang] might be preferable to any of the lower elevations of Sikhim. It is true that the distance from the Jeylep Pass [Jelep La] to Dumsong is greater than that from the Gnatui to Guntuck,.... But to counterbalance this, the best route from the Thibet boundary to the foot of the Chola range is that by the Jeylep Pass.{{sfn|Edgar|1874|p=78}}}}

In 1903–04 [[Francis Younghusband]] led a British military [[British expedition to Tibet|expedition]] into Lhasa consisting of 1,150 soldiers and over 10,000 support staff and pack animals.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Powers |first1=John |last2=Holzinger |first2=Lutz |title=History As Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles Versus the People's Republic of China |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-517426-7 |page=80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0AVaq8EMXZcC }}</ref> The first choice of crossing into the Chumbi Valley had been a pass north of Nathu La, the Yak La.{{sfn|Landon|1905|p=38}} Yak La provided the shortest route from Gangtok to Sikkim's eastern frontier, however the eastern descent proved too steep and dangerous.{{sfn|Landon|1905|p=38}} Both Nathu La and Jelep La were used by the expedition, with Nathu La becoming the main communication channel.{{sfn|Landon|1905|p=34}}

In 1936–37, a diplomatic British delegation to Lhasa including [[Basil Gould|B. J. Gould]] and [[Freddie Spencer Chapman|F. S. Chapman]] used the Nathu La pass.{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=4|loc=Introduction by Sir Charles Bell}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Photography in Central Tibet 1920–1950 |url=http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/mission.php.html|access-date=2021-10-28|website=The Tibet Album}}</ref> Chapman writes that during their journey from Gangtok to Nathu la, just at the foot of the pass, was a road leading to the right and a signbord indicating [[Kupup]].{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=22|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} This route would have put them onto the Kalimpong-Lhasa route via Jelep La.{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=22|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} Chapman writes that "From Gangtok the mule-track starts for the Natu La, and from Kalimpong the longer and more difficult road leaves for the Jelep La. By these two passes the road from Lhasa crosses the main range of the Himalaya on its way to India..."{{sfn|Chapman|1940|pp=9–10|loc=Chapter One: Preparations}} Chapman goes on to write that from the summit of the pass, if it were not for the mist, the delegation would have been able to see [[Jomolhari|Chomolhari]].{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=23|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} At the summit, Chapman writes of groups of stones and [[prayer flag]]s these were not only for the protection of travelers, but they marked the boundary between Sikkim and Tibet.{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=23|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} The road near the pass was paved with stones.{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=23|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} The first stop after the pass was Champithang,{{sfn|Chapman|1940|p=23|loc=Chapter Two: To Phari}} a resting place for the British on the way to Lhasa.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 August 1936|title=1936–1937 Lhasa Mission Diary. Champithang Bungalow. 13,350 ft, 23 mile march.|url=http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/mission_1936-8-1.html|access-date=2021-10-28|website=tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk (The Tibet Album, British Photography in Central Tibet 1920–1950)}}</ref>
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-07-06-26, Tibetexpedition, Überquerung eines Passes.jpg|thumb|290x290px|The [[1938–39 German expedition to Tibet|German expedition to Tibet]] crossing Nathu La.]]
In 1938–39 [[Ernst Schäfer]] led a [[1938–1939 German expedition to Tibet|German expedition to Tibet]] legally via Nathu La on the orders of [[Heinrich Himmler]].<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Schulz |first=Matthias |title=German Nazi belief in a lost civilisation lead to one of the most bizarre expeditions in history |website=Australian Financial Review |date=2017-04-10 |url=https://www.afr.com/world/europe/german-nazi-belief-in-a-lost-civilisation-lead-to-one-of-the-most-bizarre-expeditions-in-history-20170409-gvgylw}}
</ref><ref>
{{Cite web |last=Balikci-Denjongpa |first=Anna |title=German Akay (1915–2005) |publisher=Bulletin of Tibetology, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_2005_01_06.pdf |access-date=29 October 2021}}
</ref> This expedition also came across no gates or barriers at the pass, the border; only a ''[[ladze]],'' prayer flags and a [[cairn]].<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Engelhardt |first=Isrun |date=2007 |title=Tibet in 1938–39: The Ernst Schäfer Expedition to Tibet |url=https://info-buddhism.com/Tibet-1938-1939-Ernst-Schaefer-Expedition-Engelhardt.html |access-date=2021-10-29 |website= |publisher=Serinda Publications |via=info-buddhism.com}}
</ref>

=== Post founding of PRC and independent India ===
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.<ref name="Sweetness">{{cite news |last=Arpi |first=Claude |author-link=Claude Arpi |date=6 July 2006 |title=Nathu La: 'Sweetness and light' |url=http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/06sld03.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718041751/http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/06sld03.htm |archive-date=18 July 2006 |access-date=1 December 2006 |work=Rediff.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The [[Kingdom of Sikkim]] had flourishing trade during the 1950s. Calcutta was linked with Lhasa via Chumbi Valley, with Nathu La being one of the main routes for passage. The majority of trade between China and India during those years was via this route.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Jha |first=Prashant |date=August 2006 |title=A break in the ridgeline |work=[[Himal Southasian]] |url=http://www.himalmag.com/2006/august/special_report_1.htm |access-date=30 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030023958/http://www.himalmag.com/2006/august/special_report_1.htm |archive-date=30 October 2006}}</ref> Some traders from India even set up their shop in Yadong.<ref name=":4"/> Goods exported to China included medicines, fuel, and disassembled cars. India imported wool and silk.<ref name=":4"/><ref name=":Boquérat">{{Cite journal |last=Boquérat |first=Gilles |date=2007 |title=Sino-Indian Relations in Retrospect |journal=Strategic Studies |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=18–37 |jstor=45242394 |issn=1029-0990 }}</ref> Mules and horses would be the main transit vehicle during those years.<ref name=":Boquérat" />

Construction to make the Gangtok–Nathu La road motorable started in 1954.<ref name=":Mehta">{{Cite journal |last=Mehta |first=Jagat S |date=2002 |title=Catalysing Graduated Modernisation Through Diplomacy: Nehru's Visit to Bhutan 1958 |journal=World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=89, 90 |jstor=45064894 |issn=0971-8052 }}</ref> It was completed and formally opened in the presence of the [[Chogyal|Chogyal of Sikkim]] by Jawaharlal Nehru on 17 September 1958.<ref name=":Mehta" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=8 April 1959 |title=Lok Sabha Debates. Seventh Session (Second Lok Sabha) |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/1683/1/lsd_02_07_08-04-1959.pdf |access-date=25 October 2021 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi |page=25}}</ref> At the time the motorable road ended at Sherathang.<ref name=":Mehta" /> However, the Chinese did not take up the construction of the road on their side at the time.<ref name=":Mehta" /> The Dalai Lama, [[Tenzin Gyatso]], used this pass to travel to India for the 2,500th birthday celebration of [[Gautama Buddha]], in the autumn of 1956.<ref name=":Boquérat" /><ref name="Dalai Lama">{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Sunanda K Datta |author-link=Sunanda K. Datta-Ray |date=10 July 2006 |title=Nathu La: It's more than revival of a trade route |work=[[Phayul.com]] |url=http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=13200&t=1&c=1 |url-status=live |access-date=2 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016230502/http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=13200&t=1&c=1 |archive-date=16 October 2006 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[File:1965 Sikkim (30249403143).jpg|thumb|Sikkim, Chumbi Valley, with the Nathu La pass ([[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], 1965).|left|373x373px]]
After the People's Republic of China took control of Tibet in 1950 and suppressed a [[1959 Tibetan uprising|Tibetan uprising in 1959]], the passes into Sikkim became a conduit for refugees from Tibet.{{sfn|Abdenur|2016|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|Abdenur|2016|p=30}}

During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], China exerted pressure on India diplomatically and militarily.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=149}} In September 1965, China reinforced Yatung and nearby mountain passes with another infantry regiment.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=149–150}} India also had a build-up in this area.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=150}} On the south-eastern front of Sikkim the four passes of Nathu La, Jelep La, Cho La and Dongju had 9, 37, 1 and 9 Indian positions respectively.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=151}} This build-up was influenced by the region's proximity to East Pakistan,{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=150}} and the tensions that remained following the 1962 war.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=148}} Following Chinese pressure, Indian troops at Nathu La and Jelep La received orders to withdraw.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=151}} Nathu La was under Major General [[Sagat Singh]] and he refused to withdraw.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=151}} As a result, in the coming few days, Jelep La was occupied by the Chinese while Nathu La remained defended under India.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=151–152}}

The coming months saw both sides tussle over dominance in Chumbi Valley.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=154}} Numerous Indian incursions were reported by Chinese sources.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=154–155}} At Nathu La, [[differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control]] among frontline troops on both sides factored in to the increasing tensions.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=154–155}} Trench digging, laying of barbed wires, patrolling, celebrating Independence Day, every action became contentious.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=156–157}} Between 7 and 13 September 1967, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army had a number of [[Nathu La and Cho La clashes|border clashes at Nathu La and Cho La]], including the exchange of heavy artillery fire.<ref name="sreedhar">{{cite web
 |url         = http://ignca.nic.in/ks_41065.htm
 |title       = China Becoming A Superpower and India's Options
 |access-date  = 1 December 2006
 |author      = Sreedhar
 |year        = 1998
 |work        = Across the Himalayan Gap: An Indian Quest for Understanding China (Ed. Tan Chung)
 |publisher   = Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070212015549/http://ignca.nic.in/ks_41065.htm
 |archive-date = 12 February 2007
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>{{sfn|Balazs|2021|pp=156–159}} Numerous casualties were reported on both sides.{{sfn|Balazs|2021|p=159}}

In [[1975 in Sikkim|1975]], following a [[1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum|referendum]], Sikkim acceded to India and Nathu La became part of Indian territory.{{sfn|Abdenur|2016|p=29}} China, however, refused to acknowledge the accession,{{sfn|Abdenur|2016|p=31}} but the two armies continued to maintain informal communication at the border despite the freeze in diplomatic relations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gokhale |first=Vijay |author-link=Vijay Keshav Gokhale |title=The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India |publisher=Penguin Random House India |date=2021 |isbn=978-93-5492-121-6 |pages=71–72 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vYE0EAAAQBAJ}}</ref> In 1988 the visit of Prime Minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]] to China marked the beginning of fresh talks between the two countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India-China Political Relations |url=http://eoibeijing.gov.in/eoibejing_pages/MjM, |access-date=2021-11-06 |website=Embassy of India, Beijing}}</ref>

=== 2006 re-opening ===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Mohan |date=October 2004 |title=India–China Relations: Giants Stir, Cooperate and Compete |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA627492.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029061349/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA627492.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=29 October 2021 |website=Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies |pages=3–4 |via=[[Defense Technical Information Center]] (DTIC)}}</ref> The border agreements signed in 2003 were pursuant to the "Memorandum on the Resumption of Border Trade" signed in December 1991, and "Protocol on Entry and Exit Procedures for Border Trade" signed in July 1992. The 2003 "Memorandum on Expanding Border Trade" made applicable and expanded the provisions of the 1991 and 1992 agreements to Nathu La.{{sfn|Hsu|2005|p=5}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 June 2003 |title=Documents signed between India and China during Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to China |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/7692/Documents+signed+between+India+and+China+during+Prime+Minister+Vajpayees+visit+to+China |access-date=2021-10-29 |website=www.mea.gov.in (Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India)}}</ref>

In August 2003, the Chief Minister of Sikkim [[Pawan Kumar Chamling|Pawan Chamling]] shook hands with a [[People’s Liberation Army|PLA]] soldier along the border and followed it up by giving his wristwatch. The PLA soldier in return gave the Chief Minister a packet of cigarettes. This signaled the return of trade to Nathu La.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rai |first=Tina |date=6–12 August 2003 |title=The first exchange over Nathula |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/now/pdf/NOW_2003_08_06.pdf |access-date=4 November 2021 |website=Digital Himalaya project, University of Cambridge |publisher=Sikkim Matters Now |page=4}}</ref> The formal opening was postponed a number of times between mid-2004 to mid-2006.{{sfn|Hsu|2005|pp=10, 13, 18}}<ref>{{Cite news |agency=PTI, IANS |title=India, China to reopen Silk Route in October |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/india-china-to-reopen-silk-route-in-october/story-ak7BtuVsRZ68u3OsIpYfGL.html |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=2005-09-11}}</ref> Finally, after remaining sealed for decades, Nathu La was officially opened on 6 July 2006,<ref name="bbc-1" /> becoming one of the three open trading border posts between China and India at the time, the other two being [[Shipkila|Shipki La]] and [[Lipu-Lekh pass|Lipulekh pass]].<ref name="zee">{{cite web |date=6 July 2006 |title=Nathula reopens for trade after 44 years |url=http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=307263&sid=NAT |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185314/http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=307263&sid=NAT |archive-date=30 September 2007 |access-date=6 July 2006 |work=Zee News |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The reopening, which was a part of a number of political moves by China and India with regard to the formal recognition of Tibet and Sikkim as part of either country respectively,{{sfn|Hsu|2005|pp=8–9}}<ref name="toi-2">{{cite news |last=Pradhan |first=Keshav |date=6 July 2006 |title=Trading Heights |page=10 |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Trading-Heights/articleshow/1709103.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023143451/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-07-06/india/27820656_1_nathu-la-india-china-border-india-and-china |archive-date=23 October 2012}}</ref> coincided with the birthday of the reigning [[Dalai Lama]].<ref name="toi-2"/>

The opening of the pass was marked by a ceremony on the Indian side that was attended by officials from both countries. A delegation of 100 traders from each side crossed the border to respective trading towns. Despite heavy rain and chilly winds, the ceremony was marked by the attendance of many officials, locals, and international and local media.<ref name="bbc-1">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5150682.stm |title=Historic India–China link opens |date=6 July 2006 |access-date=6 July 2006 |work=[[BBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707022630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5150682.stm |archive-date=7 July 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=":4"/> The barbed wire fence between India and China was replaced by a 10&nbsp;m (30&nbsp;ft) wide stone-walled passageway.<ref name="Friendship">{{cite news|last=Hong'e|first=Mo|date=6 July 2006|title=China, India raise national flags at border pass to restart business|publisher=China View|agency=Xinhua|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-07/06/content_4800709.htm|access-date=26 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024013010/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-07/06/content_4800709.htm|archive-date=24 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> 2006 was also marked as the year of Sino-Indian friendship.<ref name="SI Friendship">{{cite web|url= http://meaindia.nic.in/pressrelease/2006/01/23pr01.htm |title=Activities planned for India–China Friendship Year – 2006 |date=23 January 2006 |access-date=16 February 2007 |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071020114246/http://meaindia.nic.in/pressrelease/2006/01/23pr01.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 20 October 2007}}</ref> It has been postulated that the reasons for opening the pass on both sides included economic and strategic ones, including that of stabilizing the borderlands.<ref name=":4"/>

The narrative surrounding the reopening of the pass highlighted border trade, the ancient [[Silk Road]],{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=89}} and the ancient linkages between the two "civilisations".{{sfn|Harris|2013|pp=92–93}} [[Anthropologist]] Tina Harris explains that this state-based narrative diverged from the regional narrative.{{sfn|Harris|2013|pp=92–93}} While silk had been one of the commodities traded, this region saw a much larger trade of wool.{{sfn|Harris|2013|pp=92–93}} A trader told Harris that the route should have been called the "wool route".{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=90}} Harris explains that this narrative of Nathu La rather highlighted the "contemporary global discourse"—that of a globalising and inter-connected Asia finding its place in the world, of which Sikkim and Chumbi Valley were a part.{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=92}}

=== Post 2006 ===
{{Multiple image
| image1 = The Indo-China Conference hall (Indian side, BSF maintained).jpg
| image2 = Officers at Nathu La.JPG
| caption1 = The Indo–China BPM point at Nathu La on the Indian side.
| caption2 = Indian and Chinese officers at Nathu La. A barbed wire separates them.
| align = right
| perrow = 2/2
| image3 = Nathu La Border.jpg
| caption3 = A Chinese post at Nathu La. [[Jomolhari]] visible in the distance.
| image4 = Documents being signed during the State Visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India.jpg
| caption4 = MoU being signed to open an alternative pilgrimage route through Nathu La.
}}
Nathu La is one of the five officially agreed [[Border Personnel Meeting point|Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) point]]s between the [[Indian Army]] and the [[People's Liberation Army]] of China for regular consultations and interactions between the two armies.<ref name="ti1">
{{cite news |title=Indian soldiers prevent Chinese troops from constructing road in Arunachal |newspaper=The Times of India|date=28 October 2014 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-soldiers-prevent-Chinese-troops-from-constructing-road-in-Arunachal/articleshow/44953671.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040539/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-soldiers-prevent-Chinese-troops-from-constructing-road-in-Arunachal/articleshow/44953671.cms |archive-date=1 December 2017}}
</ref>
During the [[2008 Tibetan unrest]], hundreds of Tibetans in India marched to and protested at Nathu La.<ref>
{{Cite news |last=Stratton |first=Allegra |title=Tibet protesters disrupt Olympic flame ceremony |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2008-03-24 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/24/tibet.olympicgames2008}}
</ref><ref>
{{Cite web |title=Three hundred Tibetans begin march to China-India border |website=Radio Free Asia |date=20 March 2020 |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/multimedia/Tibet_March-20080320.html-03312008133648.html}}
</ref>
In 2009, [[Narendra Modi]], as the [[Chief Minister of Gujarat]], visited the pass.<ref>
{{Cite news |title=Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans at Nathu La pass |newspaper=The Times of India |date=17 October 2009 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/modi-celebrates-diwali-with-jawans-at-nathu-la-pass/articleshow/5132800.cms}}
</ref>
In 2010, the [[Queen's Baton Relay]] for the [[Commonwealth Games]] that year also stopped at main trade gate at the pass.<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Kundu |first=Amalendu |title=Queen's Baton lost and found |website=The Times of India |date=18 July 2010 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/queens-baton-lost-and-found/articleshow/6182376.cms}}
</ref>
In 2015, Nathu La opened for tourists and pilgrims going to [[Kailash mansarovar|Kailash Mansarovar]].<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Basheer |first=K. P. M.|title=After half-a-century, Nathu La Pass opens for Kailash-Manasarovar pilgrims on Thursday |website=The Hindu Business Line |date=16 June 2015 |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/after-halfacentury-nathu-la-pass-opens-for-kailashmanasarovar-pilgrims-on-thursday/article7322492.ece}}
</ref>

Amidst the [[2017 China–India border standoff]] centered around [[Doklam]], the pilgrimage via Nathu La was cancelled.<ref>
{{Cite news |title=Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nathu La pass cancelled as India-China border standoff continues |newspaper=Scroll.in |date=30 June 2017  |url=https://scroll.in/latest/842282/kailash-mansarovar-yatra-through-nathu-la-pass-cancelled-as-india-china-border-standoff-continues}}
</ref> The border tensions also affected trade through the pass.<ref>
{{Cite news |last=Gurung |first=Wini Fred|title=Doklam standoff affecting trade through Nathu La |publisher=Observer Research Foundation |date=18 July 2017  |url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/doklam-standoff-affecting-trade-through-nathu-la/}}
</ref>
The standoff officially ended at the end of August 2017;<ref name="PLA anniversary">
{{Cite news |agency=PTI |title=Indian, Chinese armies meet at Nathu La on 91st anniversary of PLA foundation |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=2018-08-01 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-chinese-armies-meet-at-nathu-la-on-91st-anniversary-of-pla-foundation/story-O3Xw5czcj5z4Rmiwxq9TXK.html}}
</ref> and in October India's Defence Minister [[Nirmala Sitharaman]] made a goodwill visit to Nathu La, also briefly interacting with Chinese soldiers at the pass.<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Varma |first=K. J. M. |title=Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to Nathu La strikes a chord with Chinese media |newspaper=Livemint |date=2017-10-09 |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/3hDghIWyf0ViA4aV9nkxdO/Nirmala-Sitharamans-visit-to-Nathu-La-strikes-a-chord-with.html}}
</ref>  In 2018, a "Special Border Personnel meeting" took place at the pass to mark the foundation day of the PLA.<ref name="PLA anniversary"/> On [[International Day of Yoga|Yoga Day]] in 2019, Chinese soldiers and civilians participated in joint yoga exercises at Nathu La.<ref>
{{Cite news |agency=PTI |date=21 June 2019 |title=Chinese armymen, civilians do yoga with Indian defence personnel along India-China border |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/chinese-armymencivilians-do-yoga-with-indian-defence-personnel-along-india-china-border/articleshow/69891985.cms |access-date=2021-10-30 |newspaper=The Times of India}}
</ref>

In 2019 road conditions impacted movement across the pass.<ref name="standoff">
{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Shiv Sahay |date=2020-09-12 |title=India–China standoff casts shadow on Nathu La border trade |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-china-standoff-casts-shadow-on-nathu-la-border-trade/article32588696.ece |url-access=limited |access-date=2021-10-29 |issn=0971-751X}}
</ref> In April 2020, following the [[coronavirus pandemic]], the Sikkim government closed the pass.<ref name="Sikkim closes">
{{Cite web |last=Giri |first=Pramod|title=Covid-19: Sikkim closes Nathu La trade route with China, suspends Kailash Yatra  |website=Hindustan Times  |date=2020-04-23  |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covid-19-sikkim-closes-nathu-la-trade-route-with-china-suspends-kailash-yatra/story-3Q30Wo1eZ9tqdUqMcUgzdN.html}}
</ref> The Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nathu La would also remain shut.<ref name="Sikkim closes"/> Further, fresh political and [[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes|border tensions and skirmishes in 2020]] also affected trade.<ref name="standoff"/> This coronavirus pandemic–border tension situation continued into 2021, impacting movement across the pass.<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ashwani |title=Indo-China Bilateral Trade From Shipki La Called Off For Two Consecutive Years |website=Outlook India  |date=3 September 2021 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-indo-china-bilateral-trade-from-shipki-la-called-off/393520}}
</ref> As of october 2024, the pass is popular with tourists on the Indian side.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-15 |title=Sikkim to build massive 1,000-car parking lot to accommodate more tourists at Nathu La – CNBC TV18 |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/travel/destinations/sikkim-to-build-massive-1000-car-parking-lot-to-accommodate-more-tourists-at-nathu-la-19476553.htm |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=CNBCTV18 |language=en}}</ref>

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:On way to Nathu La you can see many such beautiful lakes.jpg|thumb|left|[[Lake Tsomgo]] near Nathu La.]]
[[File:Nathu La Fauna 1.jpg|thumb|left|Vegetation of the region.]]
In 1910 Scottish botanist [[William Wright Smith|W. W. Smith]] visited the area. Vegetation he listed included species of ''[[Caltha scaposa]]'', ''[[Cochlearia]]'', ''[[Potentilla]], [[Saussurea]]'', ''[[Rhododendron]]'', ''[[Cassiope]]'', ''[[Primula]]'', ''[[Corydalis]]'', [[Arenaria (plant)|''Arenaria'']], ''[[Saxifraga]], [[Chrysosplenium]], [[Pimpinella]], [[Cyananthus]], [[Campanula]], [[Androsace]], [[Eritrichium]], [[Lagotis (plant)|Lagotis]]'' and ''[[Salvia]]''.{{sfn|Smith|1913|p=326, 350, 355, 359, 370, 375, 389, 390, 394, 398, 405, 406}} ''Rhododendrons nobile'' and marmots have been seen on the ascent of the pass.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Buchanan|first=W. J.|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.2038|title=Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim (with Map)|publisher=Darjeeling Improvement Fund|year=1916|page=13|via=PAHAR. Internet Archive.}}</ref>

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 climate]], 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]]'', ''[[Rhododendron setosum|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 herb]]s grow abundantly and support a host of insects, wild and domestic herbivores, larks, and finches.{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=44}} The nearby [[Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary]] has rare, endangered [[Spathoglottis|ground orchida]] and rhododendrons interspersed among tall junipers and [[silver fir]]s.{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=114}}

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 [[pack animal|beasts of burden]].{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=44}} The region around Nathu La contains many endangered species, including [[Goa (antelope)|Tibetan gazelle]], [[snow leopard]], [[Tibetan wolf]], [[Tibetan snowcock]], [[lammergeier]], raven, [[golden eagle]], and [[ruddy shelduck]]. [[Dhole|Feral dog]]s are considered a major hazard in this region. The presence of [[landmine]]s in the area causes casualties among yak, [[argali|nayan]], [[kiang]], and Tibetan wolf.{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=44}}

The avifauna consists of various types of [[Laughingthrush|laughing thrushes]], which live in shrubs and on the forest floor. The [[blue whistling-thrush]], [[Phoenicurus|redstart]]s, and [[forktail]]s are found near waterfalls and hill-streams. The mixed hunting species present in the region include [[warbler]]s, [[Old World babbler|tit-babbler]]s, [[treecreeper]]s, [[white-eye]]s, [[wren]]s, and [[Rosefinch|rose finches]]. [[Bird of prey|Raptors]] such as [[black eagle]], [[black-winged kite]] and [[kestrel]]s; and [[pheasant]]s such as [[monals]] and [[blood pheasant]] are also found.{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=44}}

{{Clear}}

==Economy==
=== Trade ===
{{image frame
|content={{Graph:Chart
 |vAnnotatonsLine=2012
 |vAnnotatonsLabel=Trade list expanded
 | width=240
 | height=200
 | xAxisTitle=Year
 | yAxisTitle=Rs in millions
 | y1Title=Export
 | y2Title=Import
 | legend=
 | type=area
 | showSymbols =
 | x=2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
 | y1=2.787,0.887,5.8,13.5,40.254,37.886,59.881,77.556,160.443
 | y2=0.688,1.083,0.135,0.296,,,10.141,11.670,10.253
 |colors=#800000aa,#80ff8000
}}
|caption=Sikkim-TAR trade via Nathu-la, volume of exports and imports{{sfn|Lama|2016|p=51}}
|border=no
}}
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 {{convert|80|kg}} 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.<ref name="Historic trade">{{cite web
 |last        = Roy
 |first       = Ambar Singh
 |title       = Nathula 'Pass'port to better trade prospects with China
 |work        = Hindu Business Line
 |publisher   = [[The Hindu]]
 |url         = http://www.blonnet.com/2003/11/25/stories/2003112502160200.htm
 |date        = 25 November 2003
 |access-date  = 6 July 2006
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929120935/http://www.blonnet.com/2003/11/25/stories/2003112502160200.htm
 |archive-date = 29 September 2007
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> Most of the trade in those days was carried out by the [[Marwaris|Marwari community]], which owned 95% of the 200 authorised firms.<ref name="toi-2"/>

The Nathu La Trade Study Group (NTSG) was set up by the [[Government of Sikkim|state government of Sikkim]] in 2003 to study the scope of [[border trade]] in Sikkim with specific focus on Nathu La, which was scheduled to reopen.{{sfn|Subba|2013|pp=1–2}} The informal group, consisting of civil servants and trade experts, was headed by [[Mahendra P. Lama]] and submitted its report in 2005.<ref name="last lap">
{{cite news |last=Mazumdar |first=Jaideep |title=Last Lap To Lhasa |website=Outlook India  |date=3 October 2005 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/last-lap-to-lhasa/228778 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031064449/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/last-lap-to-lhasa/228778 |archive-date=31 October 2021}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news |last=Das |first=Pushpita |date=4 July 2006 |title=Nathu La: Pass To Prosperity But Also A Challenge |url=https://idsa.in/idsastrategiccomments/NathuLaPassToProsperityButAlsoAChallenge_PDas_040706 |access-date=2021-10-31 |website=Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses}}
</ref> The report laid down two projections, a "higher projection", and a "lower projection".{{sfn|Lama|2008|p=111}} The lower projection estimated border trade through Nathu La at {{INRConvert|353|c|lk=on}} by 2010, {{INRConvert|450|c|lk=on}} by 2015 and {{INRConvert|574|c|lk=on}} by 2020.{{sfn|Lama|2008|p=111}} The higher projection estimated border trade through Nathu La {{INRConvert|12203|c|lk=on}} by 2015.{{sfn|Lama|2008|p=111}} India's [[Confederation of Indian Industry]] (CII) gave an even higher estimation that trade could cross USD 10&nbsp;billion in a decade.{{sfn|Hsu|2005|p=15}}<ref name="last lap"/>

These figures were also based upon policy recommendations in the paper. While the trade may not have met the study group's estimate, which 15 years later seem "over ambitious", it has benefitted the impacted areas positively.{{sfn|Chettri|2018|pp=18–20}} Ancillary benefits were also highlighted by the report such as revenue for truckers even with low volumes of vehicle movement.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gupta |first=Gargi |date=1 July 2006 |title=The dragons of Nathula |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/the-dragons-of-nathula-106070101007_1.html |access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref> Since July 2006, trading is open Mondays through Thursdays.<ref name="bbc-1" /> In 2006 India exempted 29 items for export and 15 items for import from duty. In 2012, 12 more items were added to the list.{{sfn|Chettri|2018|p=13}}<ref name="trade items">
{{cite web
 |title = Trade Between India And China Through Nathu La Pass
 |author = Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India
 |date = 23 August 2006
 |work = Press Information Bureau: Press releases
 |publisher = NIC
 |url-status = live
 |url = http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=20154
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071210005128/http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=20154
 |archive-date = 10 December 2007
}}
</ref> Apart from illegal items, China did not put any restrictions on the border trade in 2006.<ref name="port-closes" />
{{hidden
| India's export and import list with respect to Nathu La trade (2006 list with 2012 additions){{sfn|Chettri|2018|p=13}}
|<big>'''Exports'''</big>{{Columns-list|colwidth=18em|
'''2006'''
# Agriculture Implements
# Blankets
# Copper Products
# Clothes
# Cycles
# Coffee
# Tea
# Barley
# Rice
# Flour
# Dry Fruits
# Dry and Fresh Vegetables
# Vegetable Oil
# Gur and Misri
# Tobacco
# Snuff
# Cigarettes
# Canned Food
# Agro Chemical
# Local Herbs
# Dyes
# Spices
# Watches
# Shoes
# Kerosene
# Stationary
# Utensil
# Wheat
# Textiles
'''2012'''
# Processed Food Items
# Flowers
# Fruit and Spices
# Religious Products
# Readymade Garment
# Handicraft and Handloom Products
# Local Herbal Medicine}}
<big>'''Imports'''</big>{{Columns-list|colwidth=18em|
'''2006'''
# Goat Skin
# Sheep Skin
# Wool
# Raw Silk
# Yak Tails
# China Clay
# Borax
# Yak Hair
# Szaibelyita
# Butter
# Goat Cashmere (Pasham)
# Common Salt
# Horses
# Goats
# Sheep
'''2012'''
# Readymade Garments
# Shoes
# Carpets
# Quilt/Blankets
# Local Herbal Medicine}}
|headerstyle=background:#ccccff
|style=text-align:center; width: 60%;
}}

{| class="wikitable" width="440px" style="float:right;"
|+Projection of trade (high and low) by NTSG and actual present volume of trade from 2006 to 2015
! scope="col" style="width: 80px;" |Years
!NTSG Projection (₹ crore)
!Actual Trade (₹ crore)
!Percentage fulfilled
|-
! colspan="4" |Low projections
|-
|2006–2010
|353
|6.54
|1.85%
|-
|2006–2015
|450
|114.60
|25.46%
|-
! colspan="4" |High projections
|-
|2006–2010
|2266
|6.54
|0.29%
|-
|2006–2015
|12203
|114.60
|0.93%
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center; font-size: 8pt" |Sources: NTSG report 2005; Department of Commerce and Industries (Sikkim) 2016{{sfn|Chettri|2018|p=20}}
|}

The reopening of the pass was expected to stimulate the economy of the region and bolster Indo-Chinese trade, however the result has been underwhelming.<ref name="port-closes">{{cite news|date=15 October 2006|title=Nathu La Pass on Sino-Indian border closes|publisher=China Daily|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-10/15/content_708347.htm|url-status=live|access-date=19 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070119120843/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-10/15/content_708347.htm|archive-date=19 January 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2008, [[Mahendra P. Lama]] commented upon the mismatch in projections and actual trade during the first two years, "this is mostly attributed to poor road conditions, nascent infrastructural facilities, limited tradable items and lukewarm attitude of the policy-makers."{{sfn|Lama|2008|p=112}} Road limitations also constricted the size and number of trucks that can use the route.{{sfn|Lama|2008|pp=113–114}} Further, there is a large mismatch between Indian and Chinese thinking with regard to trade through Sikkim, and a large mismatch with regard to on-the-ground infrastructure development with regard to supporting trade through Nathu La.{{sfn|Lama|2008|p=115-116}} In 2010 and 2011 there were no imports from China via the pass according to Government of Sikkim data.{{sfn|Lama|2016|pp=50–51}} Weather also restricts trade to about 7 to 8 months and roughly between May and November.{{sfn|Bhutia|2021|loc=India-China Border Trade at Nathu La}}

There were concerns among some traders in India that Indian goods would find a limited outlet in Tibet, while China would have access to a ready market in Sikkim and West Bengal.<ref name="tribunemarket">{{cite news
 |title       = Nathu-la shows the way: It opens a new route to amity
 |work        = The Tribune
 |url         = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060708/edit.htm#2
 |date        = 8 August 2006
 |access-date  = 2 December 2006
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20061215125216/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060708/edit.htm#2
 |archive-date = 15 December 2006
 |df          = dmy-all
}}
</ref> A concern of the Indian government is also 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/23/stories/2006062322050300.htm |title=Doubts over traffickers using re-opened Nathula Pass |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=6 July 2006 |date=23 June 2006 |first=Bindu Shajan |last=Perappadan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235321/http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/23/stories/2006062322050300.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Tourism===
Nathu La is part of the tourist circuit in eastern Sikkim.{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=100}} On the Indian side, only citizens of India can visit the pass on Thursdays to Sundays, after obtaining permits one day in advance in Gangtok.{{sfn|Hasija|2012|p=3}}{{sfnp|ENVIS Centre on Eco-Tourism, Sikkim|2006|p=45}} There is no '[[no man's land]]' at the pass. Minimal military presence and barbed wire separates both sides. Tourists informally shake hands and take photographs with the Chinese soldiers and army office in the background.{{sfn|Hasija|2012|p=5}} Only meters apart, soldiers at Nathu La are among the closest soldiers along the entire [[Sino Indian border|Sino-India border]].<ref>
{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Sushant |date=2017-09-13 |title=50 years before Doklam, there was Nathu La: Recalling a very different standoff |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/50-years-before-doklam-there-was-nathu-la-recalling-a-very-different-standoff-4840703/ |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}
</ref> Domestic tourism at the pass was opened up in 1999.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pramanik |first=Probir |date=11 September 1999 |agency=UNI |title=Travel industry's new hotspot in icy belt: Nathula |url=https://www.rediff.com/business/1999/sep/11turism.htm |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=Rediff}}</ref><gallery caption="Tourist locations on the Indian side">
File:NATHULA.JPG|Stairs leading to the Indian side of the border.
File:Nathu La 100.jpg|"Pass of Listening Ears"
File:Nathu La-Stairs.JPG|A visual from the stairs. The Natula memorial visible at right center.
File:SAHID SMARAK AT NATHULLA BORDER.JPG|The Natula memorial.
File:Trade Channel.jpg|The main trade road connecting both sides.
File:NATHULA2.JPG|The Chinese army office taken from the Indian Army office at the pass.
</gallery>
The pass provides an alternative pilgrimage route to [[Mount Kailash]] and [[Lake Manasarovar]].<ref name="review">{{cite news |last=Vinayak |first=G |date=28 July 2004 |title=Nathu La: closed for review |work=The Rediff Special |publisher=[[Rediff.com]] |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/28spec2.htm |url-status=live |access-date=26 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222225540/http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/28spec2.htm |archive-date=22 February 2006 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The route through Nathu La, as compared to the original route through Lipulekh pass, requires pilgrims to make a much easier and shorter trek.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mathur |first=Nandita |date=2015-06-23 |title=The shorter route to Kailash Mansarover |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/vaqy8cPtDmUahSMU1wfiLK/The-shorter-route-to-Kailash-Mansarover.html |access-date=2021-11-06 |website=Livemint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaudhury |first=Dipanjan Roy |date=22 February 2018 |title=Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through both Nathu La, Lipulekh Pass routes opened after Sino-Indian understanding |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kailash-mansarovar-yatra-through-both-nathu-la-lipulekh-pass-routes-opened-after-sino-indian-understanding/articleshow/63023464.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2021-11-06}}</ref> However, with new road construction by the Border Roads Organisation, the Lipulekh pass route has also been made easier.<ref>{{Cite news |title=New road will shorten Kailash Mansarovar yatra by six days |work=The Economic Times |agency=IANS |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/now-you-can-drive-to-kailash-mansarovar-from-delhi/articleshow/75622054.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2021-11-06}}</ref> [[Baba Harbhajan Singh|Baba Harbhajan Singh memorial and shrine]] is also part of the Nathu La tourist circuit.{{sfn |Hasija |2012 |p=4}}

=== Mail exchange ===
{{anchor | Mail | Exchange | Mail exchange | Dak }}
[[File:Flip side of a notice on the route to Nathula.jpg|thumb|Notice seen driving back from Nathu La.]]
Twice a week at 8:30&nbsp;am in an exchanging lasting only 3 minutes, on Thursdays and Sundays, the international [[surface mail]] between India and China is exchanged by postmen of the respective countries at Nathu La's [[Sherathang]] border post. While the volume of mail is declining due the advent of email and internet, it is mostly from the [[Refugees in India#Tibet|Tibetan Refugees in India]] or among the locals with relatives on both sides of the border. This arrangement reduces the mail delivery time for the people of border areas to few days which would otherwise takes weeks to be delivered via the circuitous logistics chain. In this short exchange, no words is spoken as both sides do not understand each other's language, mail is exchanged, an acknowledgement letter is signed, sometimes empty mail bags are exchanged due to dwindling mail volume. This system, since the [[history of Sikkim#Independent monarchy|times of chogyals]], continues uninterrupted even during the India-China disputes at 14,000 altitude where temperature drops to {{convert|-20|C|F}}.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Pramanik |first=Probir |date=2017-04-16 |title=You've got mail, at 14,000 ft: Sikkim man delivers letters between lndia, China |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/you-ve-got-mail-at-14-000-ft-sikkim-man-delivers-letters-between-lndia-china/story-wa1ptIC94UpvYv1CIX1I9L.html |access-date=2021-10-25 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> An agreement between China and India in 1992 gave official recognition to the process.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pramanik |first=Probir |date=20 March 2021 |title=Mailman builds bridge over border |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/mailman-builds-bridge-over-border/cid/933951 |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=The Telegraph India}}</ref><ref name=":0"/>

===Transport===
{{Maplink |frame=yes |frame-width=260 |frame-height= |zoom=10 |frame-lat=27.36 |frame-long=88.71 |frame-align=right |type=line |id=Q55473498 |stroke-width=3 |text=[[National Highway 310 (India)|National Highway (NH) 310]] Gangtok–Nathu La road alignment in red.}}

The Gangtok–Nathu La road was first made motorable in 1958.<ref name=":Mehta" /><ref name=":7"/> At the time it only existed to Sherathang after which the journey was on foot. China had not developed the road during those years.<ref name=":Mehta" />

The stretch has several sinking zones and parts are prone to landslides.<ref name="Kaur">
{{cite news |last=Kaur |first=Naunidhi |date=2 August 2003 |title=A route of hope |work=Volume 20 – Issue 16 |publisher=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline Magazine]] |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2016/stories/20030815001505100.htm |url-status=usurped |access-date=2 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210110143/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2016/stories/20030815001505100.htm |archive-date=10 December 2007 |df=dmy-all}}
</ref> The flow of vehicles is regulated and road maintenance is supported by the [[Border Roads Organisation]], a wing of the Indian Army.<ref name="BRO">
{{cite news |last=Dutta |first=Sujan |date=20 November 2006 |title=Nathu-la wider road reply to Beijing |publisher=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061121/asp/nation/story_7029464.asp |access-date=2 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930045720/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061121/asp/nation/story_7029464.asp |archive-date=30 September 2007 |df=dmy-all}}
</ref> The road has an average rise of {{Convert|165|ft|m}} per km over a stretch of {{Convert|52|km|mi}}.<ref name="BRO"/> Around 2006, plans were made to widen the road.{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=89}} Double-laning commenced in 2008.<ref>
{{cite news |title=BRO undertakes double laning of Gangtok-Nathula road |website=Outlook India |date=7 May 2008  |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/bro-undertakes-double-laning-of-gangtok-nathula-road/569053}}
</ref> Also known as the ''JN Marg'',{{sfn|Hasija|2012|p=3}} and later known as [[National Highway 310 (India)|National Highway (NH) 310]], an alternative axis was constructed in 2020.<ref>
{{cite news |title=Gangtok-Nathu La route alternate alignment commissioned |website=Sikkim Express  |date=30 October 2020 |url=http://www.sikkimexpress.com/gangtok-nathu-la-route-alternate-alignment-commissioned}}
</ref>
2006 also marked the inauguration of a railroad from Beijing to Lhasa via the [[Qinghai–Tibet railway|Qinghai–Tibet line]]. In 2011, the railroad began to be extended to [[Shigatse]].{{sfn|Harris|2013|p=89}} There has been talk of extending the [[Qinghai-Tibet Railway]] to [[Yadong]].<ref>
{{cite news |date=29 June 2006 |title=China to build three railways in Tibet |publisher=China Daily |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2006-06/29/content_629162.htm |url-status=live |access-date=22 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725041928/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2006-06/29/content_629162.htm |archive-date=25 July 2008 |df=dmy-all}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news |last=Arpi |first=Claude |title=The Tibet–India Railway  |website=Indian Defence Review |date=14 June 2017  |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/the-tibet-india-railway/}}
</ref> [[China National Highway 318]] (Shanghai to [[Zhangmu]]) is connected to Chumbi Valley from Shigatse via provincial road S204, about 30&nbsp;km from Nathu La and Jelep La.<ref>
{{Cite web |last=Surana |first=Praggya |editor-last=Nagal |editor-first=Lt Gen Balraj |title=Manekshaw Paper 70: China Shaping Tibet for Strategic Leverage  |publisher=Centre for Land Warfare Studies |location=New Delhi  |date=2018 |url=https://www.claws.in/static/MP70_China-Shaping-Tibet-for-Strategic-Leverage.pdf |page=16}}
</ref>

India has been planning an extension of rail services from [[Sevoke]] in West Bengal's [[Darjeeling district]] to Sikkim's capital [[Gangtok]], {{convert|38|mi}} from Nathu La.<ref>
{{Cite web |title=North Bengal–Sikkim Railway Link |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/northbengalsikkimrai/ |access-date=2021-10-25 |website=Railway Technology}}
</ref> The intention to construct this sometime in the future was confirmed in March, 2023, by the Minister of Railways [[Ashwini Vaishnaw]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vande Bharat train will run in Sikkim's Rangpo by next year|url=https://www.news9live.com/state/north-east/vande-bharat-train-will-run-in-sikkims-rangpo-by-next-year-au1001-2069228|access-date=9 April 2023|website=news9live.com|date=7 March 2023 }}</ref> However, so far, the actual broad gauge line construction has been limited to a [[Sivok–Rangpo line|45 km extension]] from Sevoke to [[Rangpo]], due for completion in 2022.<ref>
{{cite news |last=Hazarika |first=Myithili |title=Sikkim could finally be added to India's rail map by 2022, 13 years after project began |website=ThePrint |date=2020-08-08 |url=https://theprint.in/neye/sikkim-could-finally-be-added-to-indias-rail-map-by-2022-13-years-after-project-began/477619/}}
</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|35em|indent=yes}}
* {{Citation |last=Edgar |first=John Ware |title=Report on a visit to Sikhim and the Thibetan frontier in October, November, and December, 1873 |year=1874 |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924023017829 |publication-date=1874 |place=Calcutta |publisher=Bengal Secretariat Press |author-link=John Ware Edgar |via=Internet Archive}}
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* {{Cite book |last=Chapman |first=F. Spencer |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.529747 |title=Lhasa: The Holy City |publisher=Readers Union Ltd. [[Chatto & Windus]]. |year=1940 |author-link=Freddie Spencer Chapman |orig-date=1938 |via=Internet Archive}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bajpai |first=G. S. |author-link=G. S. Bajpai  |title=China's Shadow Over Sikkim: The Politics of Intimidation |publisher=Lancer Publishers  |date=1999 |isbn=978-1-897829-52-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EB2l6dr_JlwC }}
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* {{Citation |last=Lama |first=Mahendra P. |title=Connectivity Issues in India's Neighbourhood |date=24 May 2008 |url=http://www.aitd.net.in/pdf/studies/2.%20Connectivity%20Issues%20%20in%20India's%20Neighbourhood.pdf |work=India-China Border Trade Connectivity: Economic and Strategic Implications and India's Response |pages=93–126 |postscript= |publication-place=India International Centre, New Delhi |publisher=Asian Institute of Transport Development, New Delhi. |author-link=Mahendra P. Lama}}
* {{Cite web |last=Hasija |first=Namrata |date=1 April 2012 |title=Nathu La: Amidst the "Listening Ears" (A Trip Report) |url=http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/SR116-NathuLa-Namrata.pdf |url-status=live |website=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027012337/http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/SR116-NathuLa-Namrata.pdf |archive-date=27 October 2021}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Subba |first=Bhim B |date=January 2013 |title=India, China and the Nathu La: Realizing the Potential of a Border Trade |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09218 |journal=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi}}
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* — {{Citation |last=Arora |first=Vibha |chapter=Routeing the Commodities of the Empire through Sikkim (1817–1906) |chapter-url=http://link.springer.com/10.1057/9781137283603_2 |title=Global Histories, Imperial Commodities, Local Interactions |pages=15–37 |editor=Jonathan Curry-Machado |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |date=2013 |doi=10.1057/9781137283603_2 |isbn=978-1-349-44898-2}}
* {{Cite book|title=India China: Rethinking Borders and Security |date=2016 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-13006-1 |author1=[[L. H. M. Ling]] |author2=Adriana Erthal Abdenur |author3=Payal Banerjee |author4=Nimmi Kurian |author5=[[Mahendra P. Lama]] |author6=Bo Li  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IIsxDQAAQBAJ }}
* — {{Citation |last=Abdenur |first=Adriana Erthal |chapter=Trans-Himalayas: From the Silk Road to World War II |date=2016 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.6577564.6 |pages=20–38 |title=Rethinking Borders and Security |publisher=University of Michigan Press |doi=10.3998/mpub.6577564 |jstor=10.3998/mpub.6577564 |isbn=978-0-472-13006-1}}
* — {{Citation |last=Lama |first=Mahendra P. |chapter=Borders as Opportunities: Changing Matrices in Northeast India and Southwest China |date=2016 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.6577564.7 |pages=39–59 |title=Rethinking Borders and Security |publisher=University of Michigan Press |doi=10.3998/mpub.6577564 |jstor=10.3998/mpub.6577564 |isbn=978-0-472-13006-1 |author-link=Mahendra P. Lama }}
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* {{Cite book |last=Bhutia |first=Dechen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJs3EAAAQBAJ |title=Linking India and Eastern Neighbours: Development in the Northeast and Borderlands |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |year=2021 |isbn=978-93-91370-78-7 |editor-last=Srikanth |editor-first=H. |chapter=9: Reviving Border Trade and Tourism along Nathu La in Sikkim |lccn=2021941443 |editor-last2=Majumdar |editor-first2=Munmun |via=Google Books}}
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{{refend}}

==Further reading==
'''Books'''
* {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.1699 |title=Report on the Engineer Operations of the Tibet Mission Escort 1903–04 |date=1905 |publisher=Office of the Superintendent, Government Printing, India |location=Calcutta |via=PAHAR. Internet Archive.}}
* {{Cite book |last=Minney |first=R. J. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.175067 |title=Midst Himalayan Mists |date=1920 |publisher=Butterworth and Co. |author-link=R. J. Minney |via=Internet Archive |location=Calcutta; London.}}
* {{Cite book |last=Easton |first=John |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006111865 |title=An unfrequented highway through Sikkim and Tibet to Chumolaori |date=1929 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |isbn=978-81-206-1268-6 |location=New York}}
* {{Citation |last=Macdonald |first=David |title=Touring in Sikkim and Tibet |date=1930 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.06756 |publisher=Self-published (1930), [[Thacker's Indian Directory|Thacker, Spink & Co.]] (1943) and Asian Educational Services (1999) |isbn=978-81-206-1350-8 |author-link=David MacDonald (trade agent)}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.3148 |title=Notes, Memoranda And Letters – India-China White Paper Vol 1–14 |date=1959 |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |via=PAHAR. Internet Archive.}}
* {{Cite book |last=Moraes |first=Dom |author-link=Dom Moraes |title=Gone away, an Indian journal |date=1960 |publisher=Heinemann |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/goneawayindianjo00mora |via=Internet Archive}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://dspace.cus.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/1/23/1/sikkim%20tryst%20with%20Nathula.pdf |title=Sikkim's tryst with Nathu La: What awaits India's East and Northeast? |publisher=[[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies]]. Anshah Publishing House|year=2009 |isbn=978-81-8364-050-3 |editor-last=Ray |editor-first=Jayanta Kumar |editor-last2=Bhattacharya |editor-first2=Rakhee |editor-last3=Bandyopadhyay |editor-first3=Kausik |url-access=limited}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Forbes |first1=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g8J3lSfHQ0oC |title=China's Ancient Tea Horse Road |last2=Henley |first2=David |publisher=Cognoscenti Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-300-46486-0 |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Tina |url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/858b45d6-da37-4809-bb96-4562e32a6989/621899.pdf |title=The Art of Neighbouring. Making Relations Across China's Borders |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-94-6298-258-1 |editor-last=Saxer |editor-first=Martin |pages=145–166 |chapter=6: The Mobile and the Material in the Himalayan Borderlands |doi=10.5117/9789462982581 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |editor-last2=Zhang |editor-first2=Juan}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fatma |first=Eram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yb2rDwAAQBAJ |title=IndiaChina Border Trade: A Case Study of Sikkim's Nathu La |year=2017 |publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-86288-64-6 |language=en |url-access=limited}}

'''Journals'''
* {{Cite journal |last=Lunt |first=James |author-link=James Lunt |date=1968 |title=The Nathu La |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03071846809424869 |journal=Royal United Services Institution. Journal |language=en |volume=113 |issue=652 |pages=331–334 |doi=10.1080/03071846809424869 |issn=0035-9289 |url-access=limited}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Jacob |first=Jabin T. |date=2007 |title=The Qinghai–Tibet Railway and Nathu La – Challenge and Opportunity for India |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000944550604300106 |journal=China Report |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=83–87 |doi=10.1177/000944550604300106 |s2cid=154791778 |issn=0009-4455|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Harris |first=Tina |date=2008 |title=Silk Roads and Wool Routes: Contemporary Geographies of Trade Between Lhasa and Kalimpong |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14736480802261541 |journal=India Review |language=en |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=200–222 |doi=10.1080/14736480802261541 |s2cid=154522986 |issn=1473-6489|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Datta |first=Karubaki |date=2014 |title=Tibet trade through the Chumbi Valley – growth, rupture and reopening |url=http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1815 |journal=Vidyasagar University Journal of History 2013–2014 |volume=2}}

'''Think tanks'''
* {{Citation |last=Mohanty |first=Satyajit |title=Nathu La. Bridging the Himalayas. |date=2008 |url=http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/2072999087IPCS-IssueBrief-No73.pdf |work=IPCS Issue Brief 73 |publisher=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Ranade |first=Jayadeva |date=2012 |title=Nathu La & the Sino-Indian Trade: Understanding the Sensitivities in Sikkim |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09228 |journal=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi}}
* {{Citation |last=Wangchuk |first=Pema |title=India, China and the Nathu La: Converting Symbolism into Reality |date=2013 |url=http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/IB202-CRP-Pema-NathuLa.pdf |work=IPCS Issue Brief 202 |publisher=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi}}
* {{Citation |last=Pazo |first=Panu |title=India, China and the Nathu La: Securing Trade & Safeguarding the Eco System |date=2013 |work=IPCS Issue Brief 206 |publisher=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=VK |date=Autumn 2014 |title=The Skirmish at Nathu La (1967) |url=https://archive.claws.in/images/journals_doc/2042471866_VKSingh.pdf |journal=Scholar Warrior |publisher=Center For Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) |pages=142–149}}
* {{Citation |last=Bhandari |first=R.K. |title=Urgent Need for Steps to Make Nathu La Route to Kailash Mansarovar Safe for Pilgrims |date=2 December 2014 |url=https://www.vifindia.org/article/2014/december/02/urgent-need-for-steps-to-make-nathu-la-route-to-kailash-mansarovar-safe-for-pilgrims |work=VIF India}}

'''News'''
* {{cite news |first1=Justin |last1=Huggler |first2=Clifford |last2=Coonan |title=China reopens a passage to India |work=[[The Independent]] |date=20 June 2006 |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1090865.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018005814/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1090865.ece |archive-date=18 October 2006 }}
* {{Cite web |last=Madan |first=Tanvi|title=How the U.S. viewed the 1967 Sikkim skirmishes between India and China |url=https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/how-the-u-s-viewed-the-1967-sikkim-skirmishes-between-india-and-china/ |website=Brookings Institution  |date=2017-09-13}}
* {{cite news |title=China's social media hails Nirmala Sitharaman's 'namaste' as its foreign ministry downplays gesture |website=Firstpost  |date=10 October 2017 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/chinas-social-media-hails-nirmala-sitharamans-namaste-as-its-foreign-ministry-downplays-gesture-4127065.html }}

==External links==
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
* {{wiktionary-inline|Nathu La}}
* {{wikiquote-inline|Nathula}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{wikinews inline|India, China reopen Nathu La pass}}

{{Mountain passes of China}}
{{Mountain passes of India}}
{{Xigazê}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nathu La}}
[[Category:Mountain passes of Sikkim]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Tibet]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of China]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of India]]
[[Category:China–India border crossings]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Yadong County]]
[[Category:Gangtok district]]
[[Category:Tourism in Northeast India]]