Why Gyirong matters: an ancient Himalayan route and modern border gateway

Twenty-one people have been confirmed dead, and 541 remain missing after a mudslide struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in Xizang autonomous region on Aug 26, according to the regional government's latest news briefing.

The mudslide began with the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal, which triggered an ice-rock avalanche that developed into a fast-moving debris flow before reaching the port. The disaster has brought renewed attention to the Himalayan valley in which Gyirong sits.

Gyirong is one of the main land gateways between China and Nepal. Its geography made it a natural passage between the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and South Asia. It has been used for more than 1,000 years. Long before the establishment of a modern border crossing, the route carried royal missions, diplomats, religious masters, and traders.

In the seventh century, Nepali Princess Bhrikuti traveled through Gyirong on her way to marry Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo. The Buddha statue she was said to have brought was enshrined at Phakpa Lhakhang Temple in modern-day Gyirong county.

The same century also saw Tang Dynasty (618-907) envoy Wang Xuance pass through the area on a mission to India in 658. Wang left a cliff inscription as a record of the journey that survives today.

In the eighth century, Indian Buddhist master Padmasambhava also traveled through Gyirong, which was described as the first stop on his mission, as he entered Xizang to teach Buddhism.

Together, these journeys illustrate Gyirong's long-standing role as a corridor for exchanges between the plateau and South Asia. That role continued into modern times.

Gyirong was designated a national first-class land port in 1978 and opened to travelers from third countries in 2017, becoming an important gateway for cross-border travel and trade. The port saw imports and exports worth 4.25 billion yuan ($632.6 million) in 2024, ranking first among ports in the region and accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total China-Nepal trade volume, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The mudslide disrupted access through the border area. By Wednesday, road access to the core disaster zone had been largely restored, allowing rescuers and heavy machinery to move in and help with the search for those still missing.