Sunday 17 November 2013

India - Hill station - Lachung 18.11.2013

Lachung

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lachung
Hill station
Lachung
Lachung is located in Sikkim
Lachung
Location in Sikkim, India
Coordinates: 27.61667°N 88.65°ECoordinates27.61667°N 88.65°E
Country India
StateSikkim
DistrictNorth Sikkim
Elevation2,700 m (8,900 ft)
Languages
 • OfficialNepaliBhutiaLepchaLimbu,NewariRaiGurung, Mangar,SherpaTamang and Sunwar
Time zoneIST (UTC+5:30)
Lachung is located in the northeast
Lachung is a town in northeast SikkimIndia. It is located in the North Sikkim district and is near the border with Tibet. Lachung is at an elevation of about 9,600 ft or 3,000 m and at the confluence of the Lachen River and Lachung Rivers, tributaries of the River Teesta. The word Lachung means "small pass". The town is approximately 125 km from the capital Gangtok.
The Indian Army has a forward base in the town. Before the annexation of Tibet in 1950, Lachung was a trading post between Sikkim and Tibet, after which it was closed down. The town's economy has been boosted by tourism in recent years as the region has been opened up by the Indian government. Tourist come from all over the world to visit the town between October and May, mostly on their way to the Yumthang Valleyand the Lachung Monastery. Most of Lachung's inhabitants are of Lepcha and Tibetandescent. Languages spoken here are NepaliLepcha and Bhutia. During winter the town is usually covered in snow. Lachung is also the base camp for Rhododendron Valley Trek which starts from Yumthang Valley and ends at Lachen Valley.
Lachung has been described as the "most picturesque village of Sikkim" by Britishexplorer Joseph Dalton Hooker[1] in his definitive, The Himalayan Journal (1855).Skiing is conducted in Phuni near this town.[2]

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