After the division of the Tibetan Empire, descendants of
Songtsen Gampo fled to Kyirong and then founded the Gongtang Kingdom, whose ruins are now in Kyirong. During the first campaign of the
Sino-Nepalese War in the late-1780s, the Nepalese forces captured Kyirong. It was recaptured by joint Chinese and Tibetan forces during the second campaign in July 1792. Historically, Kyirong Town has been an important town in the cross border trade between
China and Nepal as it was located on a major traditional trade thoroughfare between the two countries. In 1961, Kyirong was established as a
port of entry from
Rasuwa Fort in Nepal by the Chinese government. In December 2014, the Gyirong
port of entry was opened to international users and this route between China and Nepal was considered to be more reliable than the one through the
Zhangmu-
Kodari border crossing. Both corridors sustained quake damage and had been closed since it is favoured for trans-Himalayan connectivity due to lower elevation and a gentler pass slope. A temporary bridge was constructed in place of the damaged concrete bridge while a new concrete bridge was constructed and opened on 7 June 2019. However, hillside stabilization had yet to be addressed as of November 2018 and this was necessary before major infrastructure work could progress. Bridges remained damaged and only recently begun reconstruction. Additionally, transnational electricity projects are expected to pass through the area, although funding is still a question mark and the Nepali government remains cash-strapped and overburdened with competing projects. ==References==