Rezang La
| Rezang La | |
|---|---|
| Rechin La | |
| Elevation | 5,500 m (18,045 ft) |
| Location | Leh district, Ladakh, India - Rutog County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China |
| Range | Himalaya, Ladakh Range |
| Coordinates | 33°25′08″N 78°50′58″E / 33.4188°N 78.8494°E |
Rezang La (site of 1962 Sino-Indian War), Rechin La, and Rezang La II, listed west to east, are mountain passes on the watershed ridge which lies east of Indian-administered Chushul Valley in Ladakh and west of Chinese-administered Spanggur Lake basin. China claims that the Line of Actual Control between the two countries passes along the top of this ridge, while India's LAC and border claim lines are further east.
About 3 km southeast of Rechin La (33°24′52″N 78°52′29″E / 33.4144°N 78.8748°E) on the same ridge is a pass leading to an adjacent valley, which China recognizes as Rezang La (Chinese: 热藏山口; pinyin: Rèzàng Shānkǒu) [labelled as the "Rezang La II" in some sources].
About 3 km northwest of Rechin La (33°26′38″N 78°49′48″E / 33.4440°N 78.8300°E) is a pass, [labelled as the "[Old] Rezang La", "Rezang La I" or "Rezang La (1962)" in some sources], that was the site of a major battle of the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The "C" Company of India's 13 Kumaon battalion under Major Shaitan Singh, fought to the last man in an effort to block the Chinese PLA troops from crossing the ridge into the Chushul Valley. Indian sources state 120 men killed over 1500 PLA troops out of 3000. The battle was the last event of the Sino-Indian War, as the pass was the Chinese claim line and upon overrunning the ridge, a ceasefire was called.
During the 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes, wider Rezang La area was again the site of conflict between the two nations.