Baryang

Baryang lies in the high pastures of western Tibet, between the Gangdise mountains and the Himalayas. Nearby the upper Yarlung Tsangpo winds through a broad valley of wetlands and grazing land, not far from its glacial sources. The pastures support yak and sheep, while passes to the south lead across the Himalayan watershed towards Nepal.

Baryang was linked with the Mugu valley by a trading route across those mountains. Salt and grain formed the core of the exchange, alongside wool, iron goods and agricultural tools. At the Cheptu market in the Baryang country, traders from Mugu met their Tibetan counterparts after crossing the passes. Under the Ganden Phodrang government, a system of established partnerships connected local Tibetan households with particular Mugu merchants, giving continuity to their dealings across the frontier.