Traders from Darchula, who have traditionally been doing cross-border trade, reached Taklakot market in Tibet, China on Tuesday.

Locals have been doing seasonal trade in Taklakot for generations. This year, a trading team from Darchula has reached Taklakot for the first time, according to the local administration.

The Nepal-China Tinker border crossing, which was closed in the last week of Kartik 2082, has been opened for Darchula locals since the second week of Asad this year. There is an arrangement for citizens within the district to enter Taklakot on the basis of the Nepal-China entry permit provided by the local administration.

Cross-border trade, which was stopped for some time due to the Corona epidemic, was resumed in 2024. This year, for the first time, a team of 62 people including traders entered Taklakot through Tinker border crossing, according to the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police in Tinker. Last year, the border crossing was opened on Asad 7. The Byasi Shauka community of Darchula and some other locals have been trading in the Taklakot market, which is considered the base area of ​​Kailash-Mansarovar, since time immemorial. The Chinese side had informed that the border crossing would be opened for trade purposes from Ashad 9 this year. Following the same information, the trading team left for Taklakot in coordination with the local administration and security agencies. The Armed Police Force BOP at Chiyalek in Tinkar, Byas Rural Municipality-1 and the Area Police Office of Nepal Police have kept records of the trading team going to Taklakot. The team, which included 50 men and 13 women, left for Taklakot via Chiyalek, but one of them returned due to health problems after reaching the Tata area. All the rest reached Taklakot safely via Border Pillar No. 1 at Tinkar Bhanjyang.

The locals of Chhangru village had set off towards Taklakot on Monday itself, while the residents of Tinkar village had set off on Tuesday morning. The residents of Chhangru stay overnight on the way and reach Taklakot the next day, while from Tinkar, Taklakot Bazaar can be reached in a single day.

According to Yogesh Bohara, central member of the Nepal-China Himalayan Friendship Society, all members of the trading team had reached Taklakot Bazaar by 4 pm on Tuesday. He said that there was no special problem in the journey as the snow around Tata area and Border Pillar No. 1 had melted. Darchula traders do business in Taklakot from Kartik to Mangsir.

The Tibetan government has provided more than three dozen shops to Darchula traders in Taklakot. Currently, 32 shops and 4 hotels are being operated by Darchula traders.

Assistant Chief District Officer Mohan Singh Dhami said that locals of Byas area informed the District Administration Office about the opening of Nepal-China Tinker border crossing. According to him, the border crossing has been operational in coordination between the locals and the administration. He said that the information about the opening of the border crossing has also been sent to the concerned ministry.

About 100 people from Darchula have been doing business in Taklakot since the past. Most of them are from Chhangru and Tinker of Byas Rural Municipality-1. They have been selling goods from Nepal and India in Taklakot.

According to the District Administration Office Darchula, 212 people from Byas Rural Municipality have obtained Tibet entry permits to go to Taklakot this year. Of these, 152 have renewed their permits and 60 have made new permits.

China has built a structure to house security personnel in the Sapu area, about half an hour away from the 1st border pillar of Tinkar Bhanjyang, and has also connected it to a dirt road. There is a security checkpoint in Sapu on the Chinese side, while on the Nepal side, there is a BOP of the Armed Police Force and a Nepal Police post in Chhiyalek near Tinkar, Byas Rural Municipality-1. It takes 6-7 hours to reach the 1st border pillar from Chhiyalek.