Along the Karakoram Highway

April 12, 2019

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By Choong Ching Teo

Atop the world’s highest border crossing.

One of the world’s most scenic mountain roads lies in the heart of the Asian continent, situated along the ancient Silk Road that connects Western China with Pakistan. The Karakoram Highway stretches over 1,300km at an elevation of 4,693 metres high, crossing scenic spots like the Khunjerab Pass, Kunlun Mountain Range, Karakul Lake and semi-nomadic settlements of the Kyrgyz people

bnw — A breathtaking scenery of the Kunlun Mountain Range seen along the highway, one of Asia’s longest mountain chains stretching over 3,000 kilometres. This photo was taken from inside the vehicle for it was too steep to stop by the road

bnw_2 — A group of Kyrgyz children who ran towards our vehicle trying to sell souvenirs. The dusty roads and the vast emptiness left me in awe – these were some of the toughest kids I’ve ever met

bnw_3 — The mighty snowcapped Mount Muztagh Ata as viewed from the Karakoram Highway. It is one of the most popular hiking spots in Western China

bnw_4 — Kyrgyz people are mainly semi-nomadic herders. They keep goats, sheep and yaks, as well as Bactrian camels and horses

For the rest of this article (Asian Geographic No.115 Issue 6 /2015 ) and other stories, check out our past issues here or download a digital copy here

The 25th anniversary of the largest and longest running dive show, Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) is set to occur on the 11-14th April 2019. Centred on the theme – Plastic free Future, ADEX is more than just a dive show with its commitment to the environment. Among an exciting lineup of programs, attendees can look forward to a Future Forward Series of Panel Discussion on the Single-Use Plastic Conundrum in Asia, on 13th April.

So join us at the event, get inspired and for all you know, you might just liberate the inner diver in you! More details of the event here.