Herders of Nyeshang who traded across Asia
The upper Manang valley, Nyeshang, was settled by people of Tibetan culture who farmed barley, buckwheat and potatoes on the dry slopes and herded yak, sheep and goats on the high pastures. Paths led north to Tibet, and the trail over Thorong La to Muktinath has been used for centuries to move herds of sheep and yak between Manang and the Kali Gandaki.
What set the Manangi apart was trade. They received special trading rights from the Kathmandu court, and in the 20th century travelled widely in South and Southeast Asia with precious stones, musk, herbs and other goods, bringing back ready-made clothing, watches and electronics. Many families spent winters away trading, and today many Manangi live in Kathmandu for much of the year. In 1960 Manangi families in Pokhara founded Matepani Gumba, the monastery on the hill east of the city.
The valley was closed to outsiders until the late 1970s. When it opened, the Annapurna Circuit quickly became one of the world's great treks, and Manang's families turned to lodges and bakeries. An airstrip at Humde opened in 1985 but has had no commercial flights since 2012; instead a road has crept up the Marsyangdi. The Manang language, which its speakers call Nyishang, 'our language', is unwritten and now considered threatened.
