Heweitan
河尾滩
Border outpost
Heweitan is located in Xinjiang
Heweitan
Heweitan
Heweitan is located in Kashmir
Heweitan
Heweitan
Coordinates: 35°00′07″N 78°35′31″E / 35.002°N 78.592°E / 35.002; 78.592
Elevation
[1]
5,418 m (17,776 ft)
Heweitan
Traditional Chinese河尾灘
Simplified Chinese河尾滩

Heweitan (Chinese: 河尾滩) is the location of a Chinese border outpost in the region of Aksai Chin that is controlled by China (as part of Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang) but disputed by India. According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, it is the highest border outpost in the country.[1][2]

Geography

🌍
India–China Line of Actual Control near Heweitan
(with points on "traditional customary boundary" of China declared in 1960)[3]

Heweitan is near the head of the Karakash River as it emerges from the Karakoram mountains into the Aksai Chin plateau. Karakash flows northeast through Aksai Chin until reaching the Kunlun Mountains, where it bends to northwest. The Chang Chenmo caravan route between Ladakh and Xianjiang via the Galwan and Karakash valleys passed through this location. In modern times, the Tiankong Highway connects Heweitan to Tianwendian and Kongka Pass bases of China.[4]

Heweitan is also close to the head of the Jeong Nala, which flows west into the Shyok River in Ladakh, and is able to strategically control its valley. China also has a motorable road in the Jeong valley to access the Line of Actual Control with India.

Sino-Indian border conflict

Heweitan was one of the sectors of the Chinese offensive during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.[5] This base served as the HQ for the sector, and the forces in this sector played an adversarial role to the Indian forces in Galwan River Valley.[6]

Media

Being supposedly the highest border outpost in China, Heweitan is often reported upon by the Chinese media. CCTV-7 alone had made full-hour coverage in 2014[7] and half-hour coverage in 2016[8] about this border outpost. In late 2018, Chinese Ministry of National Defense made a theatrical trailer promoting border troops that was shown in the movie theatre. It included footages from Heweitan.[9][10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 乔楠楠 (2019-02-04). "全军海拔最高哨所春节怎么过？" (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense (China). Retrieved 30 December 2019. 河尾滩边防连地处海拔5418米的新疆喀喇昆仑山深处，是我国海拔最高的边防连队
  2. ↑ 颜玮珏 (2013-09-30). "Keeping watch over highest mountain". China Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2019. Heweitan sentry post ... is the highest Chinese military post, with an elevation of 5.42 kilometers, and soldiers here endure strong ultraviolet rays and icy temperatures all year round.
  3. ↑ India, Ministry of External Affairs, ed. (1962), Report of the Officials of the Governments of India and the People's Republic of China on the Boundary Question, Government of India Press, Chinese Report, Part 1 (PDF) (Report). pp. 4–5.
    The location and terrain features of this traditional customary boundary line are now described as follows in three sectors, western, middle and eastern. ... The portion between Sinkiang and Ladakh for its entire length runs along the Karakoram Mountain range. Its specific location is as follows: From the Karakoram Pass it runs eastwards along the watershed between the tributaries of the Yarkand River on the one hand and the Shyok River on the other to a point approximately 78° 05' E, 35° 33' N, turns southwestwards and runs along a gully to approximately 78° 01' E, 35° 21' N; where it crosses the Chipchap River. It then turns south-east along the mountain ridge and passes through peak 6,845 (approximately 78° 12' E, 34° 57' N) and peak 6,598 (approximately 78° 13' E, 34° 54' N).
  4. ↑ Tiankong Xian marked on OpenStreetMap, retrieved 5 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Rajendra Nath (10 November 2016). Strategic Ladakh: A Historical Narrative 1951-53 and a Military Perspective. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-93-85563-50-8. The Chinese had divided their area of operations in Ladakh into various sectors which they called Areas ... (b) Heweitan Defense Area with HQ at Heweitan.
  6. ↑ P J S Sandhu; Vinay Shankar; G G Dwivedi (6 August 2015). 1962: A View from the Other Side of the Hill. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. pp. 54–. ISBN 978-93-84464-37-0. As a consequence of the stand off between Indian and Chinese troops in the area of ... Galwan River Valley Sub-sector (Heweitan Defense Area). ... China considered the Galwan Post (Indian Stronghold No. 14) as the most dangerous in this sector ... The Chinese called this sector as the 'Heweitan Defense Area' with its HQ at Heweitan.
  7. ↑ 走进全军海拔最高的边防连——河尾滩. 军营大舞台. CCTV-7. 2014-04-19. Retrieved 30 December 2019 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ 极地兵歌⑤ 兵驻喀喇昆仑之巅（下）. 军事纪实. CCTV-7. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 30 December 2019 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Lyu, Desheng; Li, Shurui (2019-03-04). Chen, Zhuo (ed.). "Chinese military releases a cinema ad nationwide". China Military. Retrieved 30 December 2019. A public service clip, "Homeland and Borders", filmed by the Chinese military has been showing on more than 10,000 movie theaters nationwide as a pre-movie advert ... The video clip tells the stories of border troops guarding sentry posts such as Shenxian Bay, Heweitan and Hongqilafu,
  10. ↑ 家国与边关 [Homeland and Borders] (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense (China). 2018-12-27. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
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