Torugart Pass (, , ; ; ) is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

in the

Tian Shan The Tian Shan, also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too, meaning the "Mountains of God/Heaven", is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu at high and located in Kyrgyzstan. Its lowest point is ...

mountain range near the border between the

Naryn Region Naryn Region is the largest region of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the east of the country and borders with Chüy Region in the north, Issyk-Kul Region in the northeast, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in the southeast, Osh Region i ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

and the

Xinjiang Autonomous Region Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC: previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It is one of two border crossings between Kyrgyzstan and China, the other being

Erkeshtam Erkeshtam, called Irkeshtam in Chinese language, Chinese and Dungan language, Dungan, or Erkech-Tam in Uyghur language, Uyghur and Kyrgyz language, Kyrgyz, is a border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang, China, named after a village on the K ...

, some to the southwest. The scenic lake

Chatyr-Köl Chatyr-Köl (, ) is an endorheic alpine lake in the Tian Shan mountains in At-Bashy District of Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan; it lies in the lower part of Chatyr-Köl Depression near the Torugart Pass border crossing into China. The name of the lak ...

lies near the pass on the Kyrgyz side. The road to

Naryn Naryn ( ; ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,178 as of January 2021. The town was established as a fortress on the caravan route in 1868. It is situated ...

and then to

Balykchy Balykchy () is a town at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, at an elevation of about 1,900 metres. Its area is , and its resident population was 42,875 in 2021 (both including Orto-Tokoy). A major industrial and transport centre (wo ...

and

Bishkek Bishkek, formerly known as Pishpek (until 1926), and then Frunze (1926–1991), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. Bishkek is situated near the Kazakhstan ...

—stretching for some —is narrow and in winter often impassable due to heavy snowfall and frequent

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

s. On the Chinese side, the Torugart Port of Entry (吐尔尕特口岸), where travelers must clear for customs, is located about from the pass itself in

Ulugqat County Ulugqat County (also known as Ulughchat County and Wuqia County; zh, c=乌恰县, p=Wūqià Xiàn) is a county in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. It is under the administration of the Kyrgyz autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu. The coun ...

of the

Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in western Xinjiang, China, bordering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Its capital is Artush. The prefecture is home to 622,222 people () and covers an area of . Most Kyrgyz in China re ...

. Distances from the pass to major cities are: to

Ulugqat Ulugqat County (also known as Ulughchat County and Wuqia County; zh, c=乌恰县, p=Wūqià Xiàn) is a county in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. It is under the administration of the Kyrgyz autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu. The coun ...

, to

Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...

, to

Artux Artush ( ; also transliterated as Artux or Atush) is a county-level city and the capital of Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, China. The government seat is in Guangming Road Subdistrict. As of 2018, it has a population of 285,507 ...

and some to

Ürümqi Ürümqi, , is the capital of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwestern China. With a census population of 4 million in 2020, Ürümqi is the second-largest city in China's northwestern interior after Xi'an, also the ...

. The pass is also terminus of

European route E125 European route E125 is a Class A in Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Itinerary The E125 routes through 3 countries: *71A-1011/71A-1109: Ishim - Kazanskoye - border with Kazakhstan *: Sokolovka – Petropavl – border of Russia *: Pet ...

and, under the new National Highway plans, the

China National Highway 315 Constructed in 1954, the Qinghai-Xinjiang Highway, also known as the China National Highway 315 (G315) runs west from Xining, Qinghai towards Kashgar, Xinjiang. It is in length. In 1994 the departments of communication and transportation in Qing ...

, but neither are signed in this area by 2020.

History

The pass has been used since antiquity. During the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

it was under the jurisdiction of a micro-state called Juandu (). During the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, the region came under Tang control as part of

Anxi Protectorate The Protectorate General to Pacify the West (Anxi Grand Protectorate), initially the Protectorate to Pacify the West (Anxi Protectorate), was a Protectorate (imperial China), protectorate (640 – ) established by the Chinese Tang dynasty in 640 ...

. The pass is open to all nationalities but clearance requires careful arrangement of transportation.

Planned railway

A going through Torugart Pass has been in the works that would connect

and the

Ferghana Valley The Fergana Valley (also commonly spelled the Ferghana Valley) in Central Asia crosses eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan. Encompassing three former Soviet republics, the valley is ethnically diverse and relation ...

since 2012. The railway would lead from Kashgar to

Jalal-Abad Jalal-Abad (; ) is the administrative and economic centre of Jalal-Abad Region in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its resident population was 123,239 in 2021. It is situated at the north-eastern end of the Fergana valley along the Kög ...

and further on to the Uzbek city of

Andijan Andijan ( ), also spelt Andijon () and formerly romanized as Andizhan ( ), is a city in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Andijan Region. Andijan is a district-level city with an area of . Andijan is the most ...

. However, the Kyrgyz section of the rail has been stalled due to financial and technical issues and possibly due to

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

and Kazakh opposition to the project. In 2023, the project development received new push from the governments of the three countries involved. A tripartite agreement was signed on 17 September 2022 during the

Shanghai Cooperation Organization , image = , caption = , logo = SCO logo.svg , logo_size = , map = Shanghai Cooperation Organization (orthographic projection).svg , msize ...

summit, although funding was yet to be secured at the time. An inaugural ceremony was held in

in December 2024 and construction is set to begin in July 2025.

Gallery

File:Seidenstrasse GMT Ausschnitt Zentralasien.jpg, The ancient silk road showing the general location of the pass File:Alma-Ata NK-43 (1948) - panoramio.jpg, Map of the region including the Torugart Pass (unlabelled; roads can be seen) (

AMS AMS or Ams may refer to: Organizations Companies * Alenia Marconi Systems * American Management Systems * AMS (Advanced Music Systems) * ams AG, semiconductor manufacturer * AMS Pictures * Auxiliary Medical Services Educational institutions ...

, 1948) File:Operational Navigation Chart F-6, 6th edition.jpg, Map of the region including the Torugart Pass (unlabelled; roads can be seen) (

DMA DMA may refer to: Arts * ''DMA'' (magazine), a defunct dance music magazine * Dallas Museum of Art, in Texas, US * BT Digital Music Awards, an annual event in the UK * Danish Music Awards * Detroit Music Awards * Doctor of musical arts, a degree ...

, 1985) File:E7967-Bishkek-West-Bus-Terminal-ticket-office.jpg, A ticket office at

's West Bus Terminal informs passengers about the schedule and route of the Bishkek-Artush-Kashgar bus traveling via Torugart Pass File:Torugart Road.jpg

Climate

References

{{Mountain passes of China Mountain passes of China Mountain passes of Xinjiang Transport in Xinjiang Mountain passes of Kyrgyzstan China–Kyrgyzstan border crossings Sites along the Silk Road Tian Shan

History

Planned railway

Gallery

Climate

See also

References