should have been called the "wool route". Harris explains that this narrative of Nathu La rather highlighted the "contemporary global discourse"— that of a globalising and inter-connected Asia finding its place in the world, of which Sikkim and Chumbi Valley were a part. Post 2006 Nathu La is one of the five officially agreed Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army of China for regular consultations and interactions between the two armies. During the 2008 Tibetan unrest, hundreds of Tibetans in India marched to and protested at Nathu La. In 2009, Narendra Modi, as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, visited the pass. In 2010, the Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games that year also stopped at main trade gate at the pass. In 2015, Nathu La opened for tourists and pilgrims going to Kailash Mansarovar. Amidst the 2017 China–India border standoff centered around Doklam, the pilgrimage via Nathu La was cancelled. The border tensions also affected trade through the pass. The standoff officially ended at the end of August 2017; and in October India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a goodwill visit to Nathu La, also briefly interacting with Chinese soldiers at the pass. In 2018, a "Special Border Personnel meeting" took place at the pass to mark the foundation day of the PLA. On Yoga Day in 2019, Chinese soldiers and civilians participated in joint yoga exercises at Nathu La. In 2019 road conditions impacted movement across the pass. In April 2020, following the coronavirus pandemic, the Sikkim government closed the pass. The Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nathu La would also remain shut. Further, fresh political and border tensions and skirmishes in 2020 also affected trade. This coronavirus pandemic–border tension situation continued into 2021, impacting movement across the pass. Flora and fauna In 1910 Scottish botanist W. W. Smith visited the area. Vegetation he listed included species of Caltha scaposa, Cochlearia, Potentilla, Saussurea, Rhododendron, Cassiope, Primula, Corydalis, Arenaria, Saxifraga, Chrysosplenium, Pimpinella, Cyananthus, Campanula, Androsace, Eritrichium, Lagotis and Salvia. Rhododendrons nobile and marmots have been seen on the ascent of the pass. Because of the steep elevation increase around the pass, the vegetation graduates from sub-tropical forest at its base, to a temperate region, to a wet and dry alpine climate, and finally to cold tundra desert devoid of vegetation. Around Nathu La and the Tibetan side, the region has little vegetation besides