The Young Chronicle: For Grade 3 23rd May, 2015 | Page 9

Nelong Valley near China border opens for tourists after 53 years By Samya Singh After 53 long years Nelong valley, which lies 45 kilometers from the Indo-China border, has finally opened for tourists. It is located between Uttarakhand and China at an altitude of almost 11,000 ft. The first batch of tourists visited the valley on Saturday, the 17th of May. Borders are very sensitive places, which is why the valley had remained closed to visitors for so many years. Now it has opened, but only a few number of tourists are allowed to enter the valley at a time, so that its beauty can be maintained. The officials do not want it to become like other destinations in the hills which are overcrowded and littered. To visit the valley, tourists will need a permit and a fitness certificate. People will not be allowed to stay overnight and foreign tourists will not be given permission to travel there. Nelong valley is an extremely scenic area located in the Gangotri National Park. Many exotic animals, like snow leopard, Himalayan blue sheep and musk deer can be seen there. Nelong Valley sounds like a very beautiful place. We as citizens of India must not exploit and ruin the beauty of this this valley.