Via Lipulekh: At 17,000 ft, a trade door opens into China

Advertisement But now, she is hopeful. The Pass is set to reopen after seven years, opening the door to a cross-border trade that is buffeted by the vagaries of geography and geopolitics. The Pass has stayed shut since 2019, first due to the pandemic and later as India-China border skirmishes led to a chill in bilateral relations. At the trijunction of India, Nepal, and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, the Lipulekh Pass loops its way through the snow-covered Himalayan ranges, reaching 17,000 feet at its highest point. The Pass has for centuries served as the gateway for pilgrims headed to Mount…