Nepal Tibet Border - Introduction of Border Counties & Ports between Nepal and Tibet

The boundary line between Nepal and Tibet is about 1415km (879miles) from the west Lipulekh Pass to Jiangshan Mountain in the east along the Himalaya Mountains, which makes up about one third of the entire borderline of Tibet. Mt. Everest is the highest point of the long boundary.

Specifically, there are 6 border ports opened, 7 counties in Tibet have frontiers with northern Nepal, mainly located in Ngari and Shigatse Prefectures. Counting from west to east, they are Burang County in Ngari, Zhongba County, Sagar County, Gyirong County, Nyalam County, Tingri County and Tingche County in Shigatse Prefecture. Among all the six land border crossings, three ports (Burang, Gyirong and Zhangmu) are international ports permitted entry and exit for travel, transportation, cargo and good of bilateral citizens and international visitors. Three others (Lizi, Ri'og and Chentang) are only designated for bilateral trade between Chinese and Nepalese.

Ngari Tibet and Nepal Border

Purang - Yari Port (普兰 - 雅犁口岸) International Port

Tibet China Side: Purang Town, Purang County, Ngari.

Nepal Side: Hilsa Village, Humla District.

Condition: only open for trade

Ngari Prefecture has a total 414km border line with India and Nepal. Purang, also known as Burang in Tibetan, is a town in Purang County of Ngari, Tibet and the administrative seat of Purang County. Located at the southern Himalayas between India and Nepal, Purang - Yari Port is one the main ports in western Tibet for foreign trade. Opened in 1992, it once was the necessary way to make Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Ngari Tibet from India and Nepal. It is about 348km from Shiquanhe Town, administration station of Ngari, 1006km away from east Shigatse City and 1273km far from capital Lhasa City through 219 China National Highway.

Belongs to a Chinese National second class port, Purang Port has land and waterway accesses to Nepal, including many mountain passes, bridges and border trade market. The Lipulekh Pass is the most famous among the 21 outward channels in Purang Port. The Purang- Yari Port currently only opens seasonally from July 15 to October 15 every year. During the 4 months, merchants from India and Nepal trade with Tibetans or other businessmen in China's other regions. At present, Tibet just set up frontier inspection station in Purang Port to check departure and entry of people and vehicles, China customs are arranged to supervise in certain period.

Shigatse Tibet and Nepal Border - Nepal Tibet Overland Travel

Shigates Prefecture in southwest China governs 18 districts and counties, 9 towns bordering on Nepal, India and Bhutan with 1573km boundary in the south, half of whole borderline of Tibet. There are 6 border counties between Nepal and Tibet, including Zhongba,Sagar, Gyirong Nyalam, Tingri and Tingche from west to east, total up 5 ports and 29 mutual trade points. Half of those, Zhongba County, Gyirong County and Nyalam County have one border port respectively, while Tingche County established two and none exists in Sagar County and Tingri County.

1. Gyirong- Rasuwa Port (吉隆 - 热索瓦口岸）International Port

Tibet Side: Gyirong Town, Gyirong County,Shigtse Prefecture

Nepal Side: Rasuwa Gadhi Village, Rasuwa District

Condition: open for foreign travelers

Gyirong County (Kyirong County) lies to the southwest Shigatse and Tibet, adjacent to Nepal in south and southwest sides for 162km. The capital is Zongga Town at an altitude of 4200m, about 490km from Shigatse City (13780ft). Gyirong Port in Gyirong Town was an important passage between Nepal and Tibet long before the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015. The good news is that Gyirong Port reopens for international visitors at the end of last month (August 30, 2017). This means travelers can make overland tours from Nepal to Tibet passing through Gyirong Port - the only opened frontier port between the two destinations.

The Port is the terminus of 216 China National Highway, about 25km of Gyirong Town. Defined as a national first class port, Gyirong Port is a future railway crossing of Lhasa Kathmandu Railway, and its mild climate and rich vegetation and good location provide it more opportunity for further development.

>> More Introduction about Gyirong Port

>> How to Get to Gyirong Port

2. Zhangmu- Kodari Port (樟木 - 科达里口岸) International Port

Tibet Side: Zhangmu Town, Nyalam County, Shigatse Prefecture

Nepal Side: Tatopani Village, Sindhupalchok District

Condition: only open for trade

Sits in the middle of Gyirong County and Tingri County, Nyalam County is famous for convenient traffic to Nepal via Zhangmu Port and in Tibet through No.318 National Highway and outstanding landscape with Lhotse Peak – the fourth highest mountain in the world, Mt. Shishapangma (8012m) and Pelkutso Lake – the biggest lake in Shigatse Prefecture.

Zhangmu Town (elevation: 2300m/7546ft) borders on Nepal from west, south and east, approximately 736km from Lhasa and 120km from Kathmandu Nepal. The well-known Zhangmu Port, once the busiest land port in Tibet with Nepal, is closed until now after the severe earthquake of Nepal in 2015. Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge – endpoint of No.318 National Highway is 13km to Zhangmu Port and about 90km to southern Kathmandu, Capital of Nepal.

3. Lizi - Nechung Port (里孜 - 乃琼口岸）Bilateral Port

Tibet Side: Zhongba County, Shigatse Prefectrue

Nepal Side: Lo Manthang Village, Mustang District

Condition: only open for trade

Situated in the westernmost of Shigatse and northern Himalayas, Zhongba County is the largest county in the prefecture where at an average elevation of over 5000m (16404ft) and covers a quarter of gross area of Shigatse Prefecture. Zhongba west, north and east depend on Ngari and south is contiguous to Nepal. Baryang Township is the capital residence at an elevation of 4772m (15656ft).

Lizi Markets together with Pagri Market in Yadong County of Shigatse are the two border trade points with most active and biggest transaction scale. On June 16, 2017, Lizi Port held a ten-day trade fair, by the time Chinese and Nepalese merchants carried with commodities and gathered around the port to sell and buy in essential supplies through the twice exhibitions of a year.

4. Ri'og–Olangchung Gola Port (日屋 - 瓦隆琼果拉口岸) Bilateral Port

Tibet Side: Ri’og Town, Tingche County, Shigate Prefecture

Nepal Side: Olangchung Gola Village, Taplejung District

Condition: only open for trade

Tingche County is also called Dinggyê County or Dinjie County or Tingkye County in Tibet. It is located at south Shigatse and Tibet, close to southern Nepal and India of 165km long borderline with 17 boundary markers. Meanwhile, Tingche is one of the four counties (the other three are: Nyalam, Kyirong and Tingri) that form the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve. So far, there are two ports set up in Tingche County: Ri’og Port and Chentang Port.

After getting approved in 1986, the traditional Ri’og Port only opens semiannually for small and limited local trade during the cross-border trade fairs due to inconvenient transportation and rough infrastructures. The sccess to Ri’og Port from Shigatse is stone road, which will be cut off by heavy snow for over three months in winter. Ri’og Port (4350m) is about 736km to Tingche County and 303km to Shigatse City.

5. Chentang - Kimathanka (陈塘 - 吉马塘卡口岸) Bilateral Port

Tibet Side: Chentang Town, Tingche County, Shigatse Prefecture

Nepal Side: Kimathanka Village, Sankhuwasabha District

Condition: only open for trade

Chentang Town (2040m/6693ft~5500m/18045ft) is situated in south of middle Himalayas and southeast forest area of Mt.Everest and face north Nepal across a river. It has a total border of 12km, 21 national boundary monuments and 5 mountain passes to Nepal. Sherpas in China – world famous Mt.Everest Mountaineer heroes lives in Chentang Valley and Zhangmu Valley in Tingri County. Distance between Chentang and Lhasa City is 738km, while it’s 384km to Shigatse City and short to 150km to Tingche County.

Due to its location in the most complicated and quiet, enclosed valley among the five ravines in middle of Himalaya Mountains, Chentang is deemed to the last overland island in China with extremely incommodious traffic. Goods are taken in and out of Chentang completely by people carry the livestock transport.

Mount Everest - Best Known Border between Nepal & Tibet

Apart from above 6 border ports, MountEverest (8,848m /290,290ft) must be the most famous natural frontier shared concurrently between Nepal and Tibet. Its north part and the highest peak point is on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau in Tibet China and south side lies in Solukhumbu County, Sagarmatha District, Nepal. However, nowadays no cross-border climb from Tibet to Nepal is permitted on this highest peak. International travelers may take a Kathmandu Lhasa flight to enjoy breathtaking scenery on Mt.Everest or plan a Nepal Tibet overland travel via Gyirong Port to make a marvelous Everest Base Camp journey.

>> Read More about Mount Everest Location

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