Torugart Pass

Torugart Pass
The Chinese border crossing at the Torugart Pass on the road between Naryn (Kyrgyzstan) and Kashgar (Xinjiang)
Elevation	3,752 m (12,310 ft)
Location	China–Kyrgyzstan border
Range	Tian Shan
Coordinates	40°35′33″N 75°25′38″E / 40.59250°N 75.42722°E / 40.59250; 75.42722Coordinates: 40°35′33″N 75°25′38″E / 40.59250°N 75.42722°E / 40.59250; 75.42722
The ancient silk road showing the general location of the pass

Torugart Pass (Chinese: 吐尔尕特山口; Kyrgyz: Торугарт;Russian: Перевал Торугарт) is a mountain pass in the Tian Shan mountain range near the border between the Naryn Province of Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It is one of two border crossings between Kyrgyzstan and China, the other being Irkeshtam, some 165 km (103 mi) to the southwest.

The scenic Lake of Chatyr-Kul lies near the pass on the Kyrgyz side. The road to Naryn and then to Balykshy and Bishkek—stretching for some 400 km (250 mi)—is narrow and in winter often impassable due to heavy snowfall and frequent avalanches. On the Chinese side, the Torugart Port of Entry (吐尔尕特口岸), where travelers must clear for customs, is located about 110 km (68 mi) from the pass itself in Ulugqat County of the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture. Distances from the pass to major cities are: 110 km (68 mi) to Ulugqat, 165 km (103 mi) to Kashgar, 170 kilometres (110 mi) to Artux and some 1,630 km (1,010 mi) to Urumqi.

The pass was used since antiquity. During the Han dynasty it was under the jurisdiction of a micro-state called Juandu (捐毒国). During the Tang dynasty, the region came under Tang control as part of Anxi Protectorate