Shipki La Near China Border Opens To Tourists For First Time In 78 Years
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday became only the second head of the Himachal Pradesh government to set foot on Shipki La
In a historic move, the Shipki La pass on the India-Tibet border in Himachal Pradesh has been thrown open to tourists and local public for the first time since independence in 1947. Nestled in the high-altitude terrains of Kinnaur district, this strategic Himalayan pass, previously restricted to trade activities, will now allow visitors to witness one of the most closely-guarded border zones in the country.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday became only the second head of the Himachal Pradesh government to set foot on Shipki La, following in the footsteps of state founder Yashwant Singh Parmar and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had trekked to the pass in 1968, long before a road was even built here.
CM Sukhu's visit marks the formal launch of a 'Border Tourism" initiative aimed at opening up the mystique of the high frontiers to tourists. The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sarhad Van Udyan, a green development project near the Indo-Tibet border, and addressed locals along with personnel of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) stationed at the frontier.
Raising slogans of ' Bharat Mata Ki Jai ', the Chief Minister hailed the valour of the armed forces and later trekked to the high vantage point of Indira Point to survey the actual Line of Control. The move is being seen as a powerful assertion of civilian presence in these remote and geopolitically sensitive regions, especially amid heightened tensions with China along multiple Himalayan fronts.
Shipki La has historically served as a key route for Indo-Tibetan trade, connecting Kinnaur district with Tibet. This trade was halted in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and has not resumed since. For centuries, traders passed through here exchanging wool, salt, and grain with their counterparts in Chinese-occupied Tibet, visible just across the border.
According to the plan, visitors can reach Shipki La via the Shimla-Kinnaur highway, taking a detour near the Khab village. Tourists will be allowed entry by showing valid identity documents such as an Aadhaar card, though overnight stays remain prohibited. Entry is free for now, but access will be strictly monitored by the ITBP, which will grant permissions on a day-by-day basis.
Interestingly, the Shipki La corridor is also part of the route to Kailash Mansarovar, a major Hindu pilgrimage in Tibet. However, access to Mansarovar through this route still requires Chinese clearance, as the region remains under China's control.
Apart from tourism and cultural revival, the move carries strategic undertones. With China's increasing infrastructure activity across the LAC, India's decision to promote controlled civilian movement in its own borderlands is being viewed as a message of resolve and presence.
First Published:
June 10, 2025, 15:43 IST
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