My time in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in Karoti along the Lohit River, revealed a profound connection between nature, resilience and well-being. Surrounded by mountains, forests and flowing rivers, I found the same lessons reflected in Qigong — an ancient practice that teaches harmony between body, mind and spirit through balance and awareness.

As an Army wife, one of Qigong's greatest teachings for me has been the art of waiting. Waiting for news, for reunions and through uncertainty requires patience, courage and trust. Like the stillness of the mountains and the steady flow of the river, waiting is not weakness but quiet strength. Arunachal's landscape reminded me that resilience often grows in peace, teaching us to endure with grace, hope and inner peace.

The most consistent theme in war-memorial accounts is the physical encounter with the 1962 artefacts: the captured Chinese artefacts and the memorial inscription whose verse about "shattered rocks and flaming pine" transforms the surrounding landscape from scenery into testimony. Several travellers describe standing at the memorial, looking up at Helmet Top and realising that the ridge they can see is the actual position where the fighting happened. The distance between memorial and battlefield is small enough to walk. That proximity changes the nature of the visit.

The Dong sunrise experience begins the night before: the 3 a.m. alarm, the crossing of the suspension bridge over the Lohit in darkness, the climb to the viewpoint and then the wait — cold, quiet, with pine trees silhouetted against a sky that changes colour with a slowness that feels earned. When the light arrives, it arrives on a Meyor village first, then spreads west across the entire subcontinent. Travellers who expected a scenic photo opportunity describe instead a feeling of geographic weight: being at the actual edge of a country, watching daylight begin.

In October 2024, a 21-rider motorcycle expedition — 11 Army, 10 civilian — rode from Anini to Walong to commemorate the 62nd Walong Day, collecting soil from 1962 battlefields along the route to be enshrined at the War Memorial. The nine-day journey traversed the entire length of Arunachal Pradesh's border landscape. Riders described the ride as less a motorsport event and more a moving ceremony: each handful of soil carried from one battlefield to another closing a loop between sacrifice and remembrance that no monument alone can achieve.

Walong, in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, lies amidst the misty Himalayas along the Lohit River, close to the Line of Actual Control. During my visits in January and November 2025, I witnessed two contrasting faces of this remote frontier — one wrapped in winter frost, the other bright and clear after the monsoon.

Travelling through Walong, Kaho, Karoti, Kibithoo and Wacha, I was struck by the region's unique blend of history and tranquillity. The valley was the site of fierce fighting during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, where outnumbered Indian troops displayed extraordinary courage against overwhelming odds. Standing at the Walong War Memorial, I felt a deep respect for the soldiers whose sacrifice remains etched into the landscape.

I first heard of Dong Valley on 28 February 2026, when I was assigned my first project in Walong, Arunachal Pradesh. Known as the "Land of the Rising Sun," where India receives its first rays of sunlight, Dong initially seemed like a distant and mysterious place. The prospect of living and working in such a remote corner of the country filled me with both excitement and curiosity.

My first impression of Dong exceeded expectations. Surrounded by majestic mountains and pristine landscapes, the valley offers a rare sense of peace and purpose. Life here is simple yet challenging, shaped by the unique terrain and climate of the Eastern Himalayas. Though reaching Dong requires a long journey, the experience is deeply rewarding. It is a place that inspires pride, personal growth and a profound appreciation for one of India's most extraordinary destinations.