Culture and history · Nathu La
The trade road and the 1967 clashes
Nathu La's story runs from mule trains carrying wool to Kalimpong, through Nehru's motor road of 1958 and the clashes of September 1967, to the trade mart at Sherathang that reopened in 2006. Knowing it turns a cold half hour at the fence into something more.
For centuries Nathu La and nearby Jelep La were the main gates between Tibet and the hills of Sikkim and Bengal. Wool, musk and yak tails came south; cloth, tools, tea and sugar went north. After Britain's 1903–04 expedition to Lhasa used the pass, trade grew steadily, and in the 1950s much of Sikkim's trade still crossed here. The motor road from Gangtok, opened by Nehru on 17 September 1958, ended at Sherathang, below the pass; beyond it, goods still went on mules.
The 1962 war closed the border. In September 1967, a dispute over fencing at the pass turned into fighting between Indian and Chinese troops, followed by a clash at Cho La in October; both sides lost men. The border here stayed tense but quiet for decades afterwards. Domestic tourists were first allowed up in 1999, and on 6 July 2006 Nathu La reopened for trade, with traders crossing on set weekdays to a mart at Sherathang.
You will see some of this from the road: the Sherathang trade buildings, army camps and memorial boards. Ask your driver to point them out. Trade volumes have stayed modest, limited by snow to seven or eight months a year and by a short list of goods. Border tensions and the pandemic halted trade and pilgrimages from 2020; whether they have resumed is worth asking in Gangtok.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
What happened at Nathu La in 1967?
In September 1967 a dispute over the border fence at Nathu La turned into fighting between Indian and Chinese troops, followed in October by a clash at nearby Cho La. Both sides suffered deaths. The fighting ended within days, and the border here has since been held by both armies at very close quarters.
Is trade still happening at Nathu La?
Border trade reopened through Nathu La on 6 July 2006, on set weekdays, with a trade mart at Sherathang. It was halted from 2020 by border tensions and the pandemic. Whether it is running when you visit depends on current agreements, so ask in Gangtok and check current status before you travel.
Can tourists visit the Sherathang trade mart?
Tourists usually see the Sherathang trade mart only from the road on the way to Nathu La. It is meant for licensed traders, not shoppers, and access is controlled. Ask your driver to point it out, but do not expect to stop and shop there.
Also in Nathu La
More things to do
Viewpoints · 20–30 minutes at the topAt the fence on the India–China borderNathu La · Included in your car and permit
Culture and history · 30–45 minutesThe shrine of Baba Harbhajan SinghNathu La · Free · offerings optional
Adventure · 8–9 hours from GangtokA full day to Tsomgo, Baba Mandir and Nathu LaNathu La · ₹5,500–7,500 a reserved car