Eight years after the India-China standoff,
Doklam will open to tourists in September.
This September, Doklam in Sikkim will open to tourists, eight years after a violent military stalemate between Indian and Chinese forces. Doklam, a strategically significant plateau at the intersection of Bhutan, China, and India in the Chumbi Valley, is situated at an elevation of 13,780 feet and roughly 68 kilometers east of the state capital Gangtok. When China tried to construct a road on Bhutanese territory in June 2017, it made news. India stepped in to defend Bhutan and safeguard its strategic interests. China stopped building in the region, also known as Donglang, following over two months of a controlled military standoff.
In September, when
Sikkim's tourism
season officially begins, we're getting ready to open Doklam to visitors. In an interview with The Hindu, C. Subhakar Rao, Additional Chief Secretary of Sikkim's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, stated that it is one of three locations that the Ministry of Defence in Sikkim has designated for battlefield tourism in India. The other two are Cho La and Nathu La, where Indian and Chinese soldiers engaged in multiple battles during September and October 1967. After a referendum in May 1975, Sikkim—then a protectorate of India—became the 22nd state to be a part of India.
About 58 kilometers from Gangtok,
Nathu La is already a well-liked tourist destination and doesn't require any more development. However, we're collaborating with the Army to construct cafeterias, restrooms, roadside amenities, and parking lots at Cho La and Doklam," Mr. Rao continued. Cho La is even higher at 17,780 feet than Nathu La, which is 14,140 feet above sea level. All-wheel-drive cars can travel there from Tamze, where the Army also maintains a medical facility to help visitors who are experiencing difficulties at high elevations. About a kilometer uphill from the famous Changu (or Tsomgo) Lake, 16 kilometers before Nathu La, the route to Tamze splits off from the ancient Silk Route.
Despite the challenging terrain and harsh weather, Army officials confirmed that work on developing these battlefield tourism sites is actively underway. A Colonel posted at a forward location mentioned that another site in Sikkim—Gurudongmar Lake—has also been included in the "Shaurya Destination" circuit under the battlefield tourism initiative. Located about 190 kilometers from Gangtok at an altitude of 17,800 feet, Gurudongmar is one of the world’s highest lakes. Named after Guru Padmasambhava, the lake is considered sacred by both Buddhists and Sikhs and lies in Sikkim’s Mangan district.
So far,
Arunachal Pradesh
has been the only northeastern state with designated Shaurya Destinations—like Tawang and Walong—where major clashes occurred during the 1962
India-China war.
Once a flashpoint of geopolitical tension among India, China, and Bhutan, Doklam is now poised to become a gateway for high-altitude tourism and historical exploration. The Sikkim government, in collaboration with the central government and the Indian Army, is moving ahead with plans to open this area to the public. The Doklam standoff in 2017 lasted 73 days—from June 16 to August 28—when India and China came face-to-face in this strategically important region near the tri-junction. Though the area is disputed between China and Bhutan, India plays a key role due to its proximity and strategic relevance.