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Lachung
Lachung is a small town in northeast Sikkim, India. It is located at in North Sikkim district and is near the border with China. 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 mountain". The town is approximately 125 km from the capital Gangtok.
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History
Lachung was once famous for it's Cox apples but that seems to have died with the changing generation although one can still catch the sight of few remaining trees that are unseeingly barren and leafless in winter but all of sudden radiant with white flowers in spring. The immense hills that dominate that valley are a rocky. Once a part of the caravan trail. the village of Lachung must surely have been favourite camping spot in the past. The trail ran through the village or to be more specific. The trail resulted in the village. 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 visit the town between October and May, mostly on their way to the Yumthang Valley and the Lachung Monastery. Most of Lachung's inhabitants are of Lepcha and Tibetan stock. Languages spoken here are Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia. During winters the town is usually covered in snow. Lachung has been described as the "most picturesque village of Sikkim" by British explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker in his definitive, The Himalayan Journal (1855).
Lachung Chu
Lachung Chu is a beautiful river that emerges from the melting snow high above. The village spreads widely and encompasses both sides of the river.
Lachung's Yak
Families still cherish their yaks and yak herders still adhere to the age old tradition of migrating with the herd in search of green pastures as well as that of keeping away from heavily snowbound areas. In winters the yaks are driven down to the altitudes as low as the village itself or even lower. But in summer they head high up into the remoteness of the Tibetan plateau. Surprisingly too.
Dzumsa System
The village has retained it's ancient tradition of the 'Dzumsa', a unique self-government system where a head-man known as the 'Pipon' is elected to chair the community where all the disputes are settled in a vary democratic manner.
Lachung Monastery
The Lachung Monastery plays an important role in the spiritual solace of the native Lachungpa, in the spiritual solace of the native Lachungpa, and to the outsider it is better known for the famous mask dance festival that it host each year.
Distance and Location
Lachung lies 118km from Gangtok on the North Sikkim highway. Special permits are required for both Indian and foreign nationals to visit North Sikkim. It is also mandatory to book with a registered travel agency in Sikkim.