URUMQI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- As night falls over the Pamir Plateau in northwest China, a bustling border market comes alive with bright lights, lively chatter and the aroma of Pakistani cuisine.
At a market near the China-Pakistan border in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chinese tourists browse and bargain over Pakistani crafts, including jade bracelets, wool scarfs and embroidered round-top caps.
After they find items they like and agree on the price, they scan QR codes to pay. Some pose for photos with Pakistani stallholders and exchange contact details on WeChat.
The region's snow-capped peaks and crystal-clear lakes have long drawn visitors. Now, easier cross-border travel and expanding trade are adding to its appeal.
In December 2024, the Khunjerab Pass, a key gateway between China and Pakistan, shifted from seasonal to year-round operation to facilitate commerce and people-to-people exchanges. In the first three quarters of 2026, over 55,000 cross-border visits were recorded, including tourists from 42 countries and regions such as Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, France and Malaysia.
Karim Anim, a Pakistani trader, moved to Tashkurgan 15 years ago from Islamabad. His father and uncle had come to China and opened a small 50-square-meter shop in 1993, then expanded it into a two-story, 200-square-meter store in 2000. Learning the small-commodity trade from them after moving to Tashkurgan in 2011, he teamed up with his cousin to establish a company and has expanded the product range from food and beverages to jade, bronzes and high-value handicrafts.
As tourism grows, more Chinese visitors from across the country are coming to Tashkurgan, giving his store a welcome boost in sales. "Customers have strong purchasing power," he said. Meanwhile, thanks to an improved cross-border road system, when he misses his hometown, he can leave Tashkurgan by bus in the morning and be home in Pakistan by the afternoon.
Many restaurants line the streets of Tashkurgan, and Aslam Muhammad is one of their owners. A decade ago he was a truck driver working along the border. But seeing how growing business exchanges were creating opportunities in restaurants and tourism, he decided to open a Pakistani restaurant -- now it attracts a steady stream of Chinese tourists and Pakistani traders.
"I used to drive trucks on the China-Pakistan logistics route, but now I connect people from both countries through the taste of Pakistani food," he said.
Curious and satisfied comments about Pakistani food have been popping up on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform. One consumer shared that she and her friend ordered chickpeas with chicken, cheese and potatoes, and Pakistani tea, and packed a Pamir sandwich to go.
"Looking at my empty plates in the photos I posted, the meal was clearly a hit," she wrote.
Nearly 460 Pakistani nationals now live and work in Tashkurgan, engaging in trade, catering and border-market businesses. Their daily interactions with local residents have fostered closer ties, with people from both countries sharing work and helping one another.
Booming tourism has created jobs and investment. Tashkurgan has 107 hotels and 640 guesthouses, offering more than 32,000 beds. The tourism industry directly employs about 6,000 people, according to Yang Qingling, head of the county's culture and tourism bureau.
Meanwhile, year-round customs clearance is helping goods move more freely across the border. Chinese machinery, new-energy vehicles and consumer goods are heading to Pakistan, while Pakistani fresh produce and handicrafts are finding their way into Chinese households.
According to Khunjerab customs, cargo throughput in the first seven months of 2026 had already exceeded the total for all of 2025. The figure is expected to surpass 100,000 tonnes for the full year.
Zhang Yaqiang, head of Xinjiang Huayingtai International Trade Company, has witnessed an increase in goods transported from Pakistan through China for re-export to Central Asian markets, supporting Pakistan's trade links with countries in the region.
To accommodate growing demand, major projects with investment of 450 million yuan (about 67 million U.S. dollars) are underway to upgrade the port, modernize facilities and increase handling capacity, according to the county's commerce and industry bureau. Plans also include improving infrastructure for the border economic cooperation zone, bonded warehouses and customs-supervised areas.
From bustling market stalls to expanding trade routes, the town on the Pamir Plateau is showing how improved connectivity can turn a remote border crossing into a hub of commerce, tourism and friendship.
Looking ahead, local authorities aim to make better use of Tashkurgan's strategic location to deepen economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and Pakistan, said Li Feng, the county's Party chief. ■
