Chema, Tibet
Chema or Phema with native Tibetan spelling Byema () and Chinese spelling Qiema (), is a village in the Chumbi Valley in the Yadong County, Tibet region of China. It is in the valley of Amo Chu where the route from Sikkim's Nathu La pass meets the Amo Chu valley. The village is in the Xiayadong Township. Across the river, on its eastern bank is the settlement of Pipitang (), which was described as a flourishing Chinese village in the 19th century. The village got emptied during the period of Tibet's independence (1912–1951). It is now repopulated. Geography. Chema  and Pipitang are four miles to the south of Yatung (Shasima). The track from the Nathu La pass met the Amo Chu valley here, while the track from the Jelep La pass also joined here via Rinchengang. At the present time, the Yanai Road () runs along this route to Nathu La. In December 1903 Laurence Waddell passed through Chema on his way to Lhasa and described it as follows: His description continued with that of Pipitang: During the period 1894–1903, when a British Indian trade mart was opened at Old Yatung near Rinchengang, all the villages in the Chumbi valley  were involved with the India–Tibet trade. Pipithang also had many Chinese officials and a "yamen" (foreign service) for handling passports and foreign visitors. Ekai Kawaguchi describes the elaborate procedures devised by the Tibetan and Chinese administration for traders visiting India. The senior Chinese official of the "yamen" was called "Popon". During 1904–1908, when the Chumbi Valley was occupied by the British, the Chinese continued to use Pipithang as their base, and attempted to act as if they were still controlling the Chumbi Valley.