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Karakoram Highway: Xinjiang's Tashkurgan & Tajik Wedding

The Karakorum Highway: World's MOST Diverse Mountain Pass I S2, EP88

Destination:ChinaProvince:XinjiangCity:Tashkurgan

China travel video

The Karakorum Highway: World's MOST Diverse. This China travel video was filmed by Little Chinese Everywhere. Watch the full journey and explore the filming details and destinations on this page.

I am in Tashkurgan, in the border region of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. People in this region are mostly Wakhis, an ethnicity situated close to the Wakhan Corridor which mostly lies in Afghanistan but also partly in Pakistan and Tajikistan.

My journey starts on the renowned Karakoram Highway, one of the most fascinating trade routes of the ancient silk road, connecting central and south Asia through the Karakoram, Himalaya, and Hindu Kush Ranges. I met some Kyrgyz, and Tajiks on the way, and eventually reached Tashkurgan where I got spontaneously invited to a Tajik wedding.

Join me on this adventure to Far West China.

--- Little Chinese Everywhere
August 24, 2024, Summer in China

Travel Guides & Tips in this video

Little Chinese Everywhere travels by scooter from Kashgar along the Karakoram Highway to Tashkurgan on the Pamir Plateau. She shares milk tea with Kyrgyz nomads, visits a Kyrgyz home and receives a scarf. The journey brings encounters with Kyrgyz and Tajik communities, whose languages and traditions she compares with those of other groups in the region. In Tashkurgan she learns about local Tajik life and Nowruz, tries polo rice and attempts to visit the Quxman Ruins, but finds them closed. An invitation to a Tajik wedding becomes the journey's final celebration, where she dances with the guests.

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More about the current video:(Published on 2024-08-24)

The Karakorum Highway: World's MOST Diverse Mountain Pass I S2, EP88

Along the Karakoram Highway

Little Chinese Everywhere travels by scooter from Kashgar toward Tashkurgan on the Karakoram Highway. As the route climbs onto the Pamir Plateau, the scenery changes and the traveler meets people from different communities. She shares a cup of milk tea with Kyrgyz nomads and learns about their daily lives. A visit to a Kyrgyz home gives her a closer look at the family's hospitality, and they give her a scarf. She also notices differences between Kyrgyz and Uyghur languages and talks about how people in the area look and speak differently from Han Chinese.

When she reaches Tashkurgan, the journey moves into local Tajik culture. She describes the city's location near China’s borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan and discusses the Chinese Tajik community, Nowruz and possible Iranian ancestry. She explores local dress and tries polo, a pilaf dish common across Central Asia.

A wedding and an unexpected closure

Little Chinese Everywhere tries to visit the Quxman Ruins, described in the video as China's only Zoroastrian relics, but finds the site closed. The route also includes tea with Kyrgyz residents and other conversations with people along the way. Later, an unexpected invitation takes her to a Tajik wedding. She joins the celebration, dances with guests and learns a few words in Kyrgyz.

Her ride ends with a reflection on the warmth and happiness she encountered during the trip. The episode brings together the long road from Kashgar, the mountain landscape, the Kyrgyz home visit, local food and clothing, the closed ruins and the wedding. It offers a personal record of travel across this border region and the hospitality she experienced on the way to Tashkurgan.

FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)

Q: Where did Little Chinese Everywhere travel?
A: She rode a scooter from Kashgar along the Karakoram Highway to Tashkurgan on the Pamir Plateau.
Q: What happened during her visit with Kyrgyz nomads?
A: She shared milk tea, learned about their daily lives, visited a home and received a scarf from the family.
Q: Did she visit the Quxman Ruins?
A: She tried to visit the ruins, described in the video as China’s only Zoroastrian relics, but found them closed.

Previous travel video:

Karakoram Highway: Xinjiang's Tashkurgan & Tajik Wedding

I am in Tashkurgan, in the border region of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. People in this region are mostly Wakhis, an ethnicity situated close to the Wakhan Corridor which mostly lies in Afghanistan but also partly in Pakistan and Tajikistan. My journey starts on the renowned Karakoram...

Karakoram Highway: Xinjiang's Pamir Plateau & Tashkurgan

Little Chinese Everywhere embarks on a breathtaking journey along the Karakoram Highway, a historic trade route traversing the Karakoram, Himalaya, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Her adventure takes her through stunning landscapes and introduces her to diverse cultures, including encounters with Kyrgyz and Tajik people. A highlight is an unexpected invitation to a Tajik wedding in Tashkurgan, a town near the borders of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. This episode showcases the unique Wakhi ethnicity and the rich cultural tapestry of far west China.

Attractions in this video: Karakoram Mountains, Pamir Plateau, Kongur Tagh Mountain, Muztagh Mountain, Baisha Lake, Quxman Ruins