Lazikou Pass Explained

Lazikou Pass
Other Name:腊子口
Map:China#Gansu
Traversed:Gansu Provincial Road S210
Location:Têwo County, Gannan Prefecture, Gansu, China
Range:Min Mountains
Coordinates:34.1091°N 103.8939°W

The Lazikou Pass, also known as Latsekhok[1], is a narrow mountain pass in the Min Mountain Range, Têwo County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southern Gansu, Northwestern part of China. The pass forms a gateway between northwestern Sichuan (Ngawa) and southern Gansu. It is of historical significance due to its strategic importance in the final phase of the Long March.

During the Long March, the Lazikou Pass was the last major obstacle for the forces led by Mao Zedong (i.e. Red Army of China) to reach northern Gansu after their crossing of the Zoigê Marsh. The pass had been fortified with blockhouses by Kuomintang forces and was taken by mountaineers led by Yang Chengwu on September 16, 1935.[2]

In 2014, the 3,735 m long Lazikou Tunnel was completed, which bypasses the mountain pass.[3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Chen. Guansheng. 陈观胜 [Chen Guansheng];. An. Caidan. 安才旦 [An Caidan]. zh:《汉英藏对照常见藏语人名地名词典》. Dictionary of Common Tibetan Personal and Place Names. Beijing. Foreign Languages Press. 2004. 7-119-03497-9. 176.
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA576 Tony Jaques: Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007
  3. Web site: 宕迭公路腊子口隧道-甘肃路桥第四公路工程有限责任公司.
  4. Web site: 宕昌至迭部二级公路腊子口隧道胜利贯通. 2022-02-14. www.tspweb.com.