KATHMANDU: More than 13,500 religious pilgrims traveled to Kailash Mansarovar in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region through the Rasuwagadhi border point during the last fiscal year, marking a significant increase from the previous year.
According to the Immigration Office, Rasuwagadhi, a total of 13,523 pilgrims crossed the border for the pilgrimage in fiscal year 2025/26, up 18.75 percent from 11,387 recorded in the previous fiscal year.
Kailash Mansarovar is a revered pilgrimage destination for followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. Officials say the Rasuwagadhi route has become increasingly popular as it is more affordable than traveling through the Hilsa border point in Humla.
Although the Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China was swept away by floods in the Lhende River on July 8, 2026, immigration services resumed after China installed a temporary Bailey bridge. The border remained operational for only seven months during the last fiscal year but still recorded higher traffic than the previous year, according to Immigration Office Chief Yadav Bhandari.
A total of 53,742 people crossed the Nepal-China border through Rasuwagadhi during the fiscal year. Of them, 27,293 entered Nepal while 26,449 departed for China.
The total cross-border movement through the checkpoint increased by 20.74 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, when 44,509 travelers used the route.
Indian nationals accounted for the largest share of travelers, largely due to the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. Immigration data show that 24,278 Indians crossed the border during the fiscal year, followed by 10,257 Nepalis, 6,027 Chinese, 4,214 Americans, 1,534 Australians, 917 Russians, 911 Malaysians, 884 Bhutanese, 810 British nationals and 420 Canadians.
Apart from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, travelers also use the Rasuwagadhi crossing to visit Lhasa and the Chinese side of the Everest Base Camp.
However, visits to both destinations declined sharply over the past year. Only 626 travelers visited Lhasa and 22 traveled to the Chinese Everest Base Camp during the fiscal year, down 67.2 percent and 92 percent, respectively, from the previous year.
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