Eternal Kashgar

Many people in Kashgar still live a traditional life in Tower Houses.

The herders also sell boiling milk tea, which warms up the visitors who must often brace against the heavy wind in the high altitude here.

Our mountain adventure did not stop here. After a short break at the central area of Tashi Kuergan Tajik autonomous county, our car continued on to the 5,100-meter high China-Pakistan border upon the Pamir Plateau.

The snow mountains got closer and eventually we found ourselves on top of one - the one with the boundary marker that says "China" on one side and "Pakistan" on the other.

The scene is thrilling, but the wind is also extreme. The rare air makes me short of breath and any fast movement is followed by panting.

But the Chinese and Pakistani frontier guards have obviously gotten used to this. They welcome every photo request from visitors, who relieve the boredom for the soldiers who live in this mettle-testing environment.

After coming back from the Pamir Plateau that night, we celebrated our survival of a huge challenge, although a few of us were still suffering from altitude sickness.

We were visiting a Tajik family and sat cross-legged in a circle on the heated brick bed, surrounded by overlapping plates of food.

Hospitable Tajik friends danced and sang with instruments while we tucked into the delicious meal like wolves. Their warm reception drove off the chill of the snow mountain.

Our journey kept bringing surprises. In Zepu county in the central Kashgar region, dates are as big as eggs; and there are 147 centenarians, the oldest among them was 111 years old.

The last eye-opener came when we got back to Kashgar city a day before our trip ended. It was a Friday, and we shopped at the local bazaar until it suddenly closed around 2 pm. People gradually filled the Aitiga Mosque. Others - including shoppers at the bazaar - crowded on the road and knelt down to praying facing the direction of Mecca.

For one moment, the whole city was rapt in holy silence.

Contact the writer at zhangzixuan@chinadaily.com.cn.