Upal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Upal is a small town in western Xinjiang, China.
[edit] Karakoram Highway
Today Upal is on the Karakoram Highway, which follows the old Silk Road route from China to Pakistan. Travelling from China, it is about 50 km southwest of Kashgar, or about 180 km north of Tashkurgan (which is about 120 km over the Khunjerab Pass from Sust in Pakistan).
Passenger road service between the Tashkurgan and the Pakistani cities of Sost and Gilgit already exists, and road service between Kashi and Gilgit (via Tashkurgan and Sust) starts in summer 2006. However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass (the highest border in the world) is open only from May 1 to October 15 of every year. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow.
[edit] Namesake
"Upal" in Sanskrit language means 'a noble stone'. The name of the jewel "Opal" is derived from this Sanskrit word. ref: http://idb.exst.jaxa.jp/edata/02497/pdf/STJ85-09.pdf
Research proved presence of an old East Indian caste named Upal that reflects Hebrew equivalent "Ophal" [Ophel (2 Chr. 28:3)]: ref:http://www.viewzone.com/matlock.html
[edit] See also
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
