In 2012, the road terminated near Hanle (see "Transport" section for new road connectivity), the traditional trade and pilgrimage corridor formerly ran up the Hanle valley to Imis La, crossed into the Indus valley via Charding La near Demchok and Dêmqog, and proceeded to Tashigang in Tibet.

[5][6] Sengge Namgyal (r. 1616–1642) built the prominent Hanle monastery in association with Tatsang Repa (Stag-tsang-ras-pa), the notable Buddhist priest of the Drukpa ("red hat") sect.

[7] Sengge Namgyal died here in 1642 after his return from an expedition against the Mongols who had occupied the Tibetan province of Tsang and were threatening Ladakh's possessions in Tibet.

The location of the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibetan / Chinese border.

[12][13] Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arcs were observed in Hanle in April 2023[14][15] and November 2023,[16][17] as well as during the May 2024 solar storms.

[20] The wetlands in the Hanle basin teem with migratory birds including Bar-headed Goose and the Black-necked Crane.