Echoes from the Karakorum

A photojournalist's journey through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

It was around 9 pm in mid-June when I found myself wandering through a border market in Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Here, where the borders of China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan converge, snowcapped peaks of the Pamir Plateau loom in every direction. Though night was near, the sun still cast a golden light on the mountains, and the market buzzed with life.

The market hosted many Pakistani traders who sell gemstones, carpets and handcrafted jewelry to tourists drawn by Xinjiang's summer rush. Suddenly, music started at a nearby stall, and the Pakistani businessmen began to dance.