Meanings
- A mountain pass on the border between Yadong, Shigatse, Tibet autonomous region, China and Sikkim, India.
Nathu La connects India to Hindu and Buddhist sites in the region and was the site of a fierce border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in 1967.
2017 June 26, Ben Blanchard, David Stanway, Tommy Wilkes, “China accuses Indian border guards of crossing into its territory”, in Paul Tait, Michael Perry, editors, Reuters, archived from the original on 27 Jun 20172 more examples
"The opening of the border pass at Nathu La after 44 years marks the beginning of a new era in Sino-Indian relations," Phuntsok said. "I hope the border people of these two great nations will benefit from this."
2006 July 6, Champa Phuntsok, quotee, “India and China reopen historic pass - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2023, Asia PacificIndia’s Border Roads Organization said the tourists were hit by the avalanche near the Nathu La mountain pass in Sikkim state. A video released by the Indian army showed rescuers digging through the snow to find an undetermined number of missing people swept away by the avalanche down a mountain slope. Nathu La mountain pass is along the border with China and is a major tourist destination.
2023 April 4, “Avalanche sweeps away tourists in northeast India; 7 killed”, in AP News, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2023
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 乃堆拉
- 乃堆拉 (Nǎiduīlā)mountain pass
Cite this entry
Nathu La. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nathu%20La
“Nathu La.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nathu%20La. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Nathu La,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nathu%20La.
Source: Nathu La on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.