Khunjerab

Hong Kong Highland Exploration Team 2006

Author：Jasmine Ma

Picture：莫炳亮及Hong Kong Highland Exploration Team

9th to 10th August
Hetian , Tashikuergan County

Tashikuergan County was at the north-eastern part of Pamirs Plateau. The Mushitagefeng ( snow mountain) at 7,509 m altitude was also in the county With 888.8 km away from the county was the borders of three other countries , Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

11th to 12th August
Kashi

Khunjerab was our key destination and the west most point of our trip . It was located at Pamirs Plateau next to the boundaries of 7 countries : India , Pakistan , Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan and Kazakstan. That was the only motorway to access Pakistan. We had seen many trucks passing by from Pakistan. Our cars climbed up mountain by mountain and we had arrived Chogo Ri and it also named as “K2 Peak” in the western countries. Chogo Ri at 8,818 m altitude was known as the second highest peak in the world. Although the Everest was more famous , yet it was too old and with too much wrinkles. On the other side , Chogo Ri looked much younger and gutty. Pamirs Plateau was still the only unpolluted land in the world and that was the place we liked best during the entire journey. We understood the reason why my father arranged us to visit there and that was also the place called “Kashmir” which we learned from TV programs.

It would be Pakistan after we crossed the border of Khunjerab. The soldiers of Pakistan were very friendly with smiling faces. They didn’t blame our kids for getting in their territory . That was also a large protection zone with 9,738 sq km for wild animals . Apart from normal wild animals , there were also big snow leopards, catamountains and palm bears etc.

12th to 13th August.
Kashi

After we said goodbye to Mushitagefeng , the “Father of glacier” and Pamirs , we moved on to Kashi , an important town of the southern Tibet. There was the largest mosque in the country and the largest market in Tibet for Agriculture Trades.

The hotel we stayed for those two days was originally the consulate of Russia in 1890 , the building was with prominent characteristic. There was a street call “ Ji-ren Street” and it was named by Japanese years ago when they came and saw the shops were selling handicrafts made by the shop owners . ( Ji meant Professional and ren was people in Chinese.) The street surrounded “Id Kah Mosque”, the largest mosque in China.

14th August.
Kashi , Aksu

Aksu was located in the western part of Tibet , linking the Republic of Kirgizstan and The Republic of Kazakhstan . Aksu was known as “ Balujiaguo” a small country in the Chinese Literature “Da Tang Xiyu Ji” , one of the Buddha’s classics in the Great Tang Empire. On our way , we passed by the largest prison in China , the Bachu Prison. It was desolate and uninhabited and not even a blade of grass grows existed.

We had learned from team members chit chatting on the radio that there was one guy from Tianjin that could escape from Bachu Prison successfully. It was quite a touching story. That Tianjin guy wanted to meet his mother whom was suffering from an incurable disease and eventually the government allowed him imprisoned in Tianjin. The Magical Wood Garden was just next to Kirgizstan and we went to see the “one thousand year old tree”. We had found the name itself was more beautiful than its appearance.

15th August.
Aksu , Kuche

The Kezier Thousand Buddhist Caves in Aksu was with very beautiful frescos the same as Dunhuang Caves we visited last year. When we entered The Kezier Thousand Buddhist Caves , we could only allow to bring along with bottle water. Cameras and bags were prohibited to bring inside . The regulation was more rigid than the one in Dunhuang.

The Kezier Thousand Buddhist Caves had a longer history compared to Dunhuang , however , Dunhuang was far more grand and attractive. That was already the third time we had seen the landscape of Yadan. We saw numerous Pharaohs statuaries created by wind and sand and we guessed we were in Egypt.

16th August .Kuchong , Shanshan

To Tulufan

Our car fleet passed through Putaogou and The Flaming Mountains (Huo Yan Shan) we visited last summer. The Flaming Mountains (Huo Yan Shan) was still like burning even though after sunset. If you kept staring at it , it would light the fire in your heart without any reason.

We had water melons and cantaloupes everyday since we arrived Tibet. Tonight , we could have something else. I meant the most delicious grapes in the world.