Zhangmu itself is worth exploring on foot — the town climbs a steep hillside on switchbacks, with buildings seemingly stacked on top of one another. The lower sections feel distinctly Nepali: Tibetan script gives way to Devanagari, daal bhat appears alongside noodles on restaurant menus, and the air has the humidity of the forested gorge below. Higher up, the town reverts to Chinese administrative normality, with government buildings and state infrastructure.
The main street is a working trade corridor — trucks laden with goods pile up at the customs checkpoint, and the shops that line the road sell an improbable mix of Chinese electronics, Tibetan religious items, Nepali foodstuffs, and Indian-made goods. Walking its length takes 20 minutes and gives a vivid sense of how much commerce flows through this remote mountain crossing.