中国国境で暮らす ― タジク人、キルギス人、パキスタン人とともに

中国国境で暮らす ― タジク人、キルギス人、パキスタン人とともに

I’m still traveling in Shing Jang, China. And right now, I made it so far to the west that behind these mountains is already Pakistan and Afghanistan. And Shinjang is a province with many different ethnicities. In the last video, I already visited the Weaguers and the Kazaks. But today I’m going to travel so far to such a remote place in the country to visit the lost nomads of China, the Kiris and the Tajik. Thank you. I got this massive tour bus all myself today because uh I basically the only way to get to Tashkan is to book a tour there with a driver and a guide, but there’s no one else who booked it. So now I have this all for myself. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] We just entered through a checkpoint over there with our permits. That permit is necessary for foreigners and for Chinese nationals because this area is a bit of a sensitive zone because right behind this mountain over there is Kashmir. And a few months ago I was on the other side there and of course like this is a bit of an area there that is sandwiched between all these geopolitical powers. So you have Pakistan there, you have India here and then here is China. And there’s something that is very interesting is that maps they can look different depending on where you are in which part of the world. So if you look at a map that is made by the west so like for example Google maps then you can see here that the areas here they are disputed. But then if you go to a maps from here like by maps it doesn’t show that it just shows that the area over there behind these mountains that that is China. [Music] The Kiris are traditionally known for hering yaks, but here it has also become a popular tourist attraction. We’re now on our way to Tashkuren, which is a place where a majority Tajik people live. And we just passed the checkpoint and the first place that you stop after that checkpoint is Basha Lake, which is actually a bit touristic. This part of the province has a lot of glacier lakes and they are the most pretty at this time of the year because in the winter they’re completely frozen. So that’s why it attracts a lot of tourists. [Music] Now cold as expected. So here we have a kis people. So normally they live here. The kirus people they have the yurts among the kis and tajik and kazak because if they’re the real nomad people they have the white yurts. The white yurts are very common among them you know. So only in summer time. So uh winter time they have a proper houses for example like mud mud and stone wood houses and also it has been for couple years that our Chinese government they are build such a nice proper house for the those nomad people here and also the most of the kgis and tajik kazak people at least they have more than two three different houses. The yurts are very common in summertime. It’s easy to build up. Some argue that China is erasing nomatic traditions. But every story has two sides. By requiring all children, including those from nomatic groups like the Kirgis, to attend school, the government is ensuring access to education, even as it changes traditional ways of life. It’s a complex trade-off. This time of the year, the Kiris stay in this village. But as soon as it becomes warmer again, they move to the mountains. And for that, they need a yurt. This is kgis yak milk tea. Let’s try this. Tastes a bit salty. How do you say thank you in Kygish? Also Rahmed. Yes. Is there a difference in customs between people, Kyish people here and Kyish people that live in Kyrgystan? People here they said it’s different. But uh they have a guest come they never provide alcohol. So they’re guests. Okay. But in Kyrgyzstan it’s different. So they just provide alcohol. Kyis people are distinct depending on where they come from. Kyis may speak a different dialect, use local loan words and have variations in clothing, food and your design. The roots are the same. The daily life differs. So we have one last checkpoint. Then after we just the guide now went with my passport there to check. This is already the third time that I could checked ever since I arrived here. All good. Yes. Great. [Music] So here we have mainly Tajik people. Also we have some ugur and Chinese people. They live together as well. Mainly Tajik. 50,000 Tajiks live together. Yeah. So they are very friendly with Chinese people. Here we have one uh stone castle which is built by stone. So that’s why the Tajik people they name it like a Tashkan the castle which built by stone. The Tajik language belong to the Persian language system. Tajik they understand we people but we can understand the Tajik. [Music] It says also that Tashken is autonomous. Yeah. What what makes it autonomous exactly? Kind of uh the center for the one uh ethnic group. H So they have like their own uh their own government then as well or a minister or something or what what is the autonomy then that they have? Uh actually here all over here in Shinjang it’s controlled by uh Beijing because here belong to China. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So is like it’s like the kind of uh representative thing that some things are controlled by the Tajik people here. Which kind of things are controlled then? I don’t know but uh the Tajik I think they know this. Its autonomous status means some local policies can reflect minority culture and language. However, major decisions still follow national laws. When asked about the slightest political question like the meaning of Tashkuran’s autonomy, the guide’s immediate uncomfort makes him at a loss of words. [Music] When I arrived in Tashken, I got invited by a Tajik family in their house and they recently had celebrated a fitter. So their house was filled with treats. The decoration in here is very beautiful. Yes, very nice. Is this always all presented like this? Uh when they have a guest like this then they all have like this you know. Are they they are Shia or Sunny Muslim? Yeah, Shia. There’s a lot to try indeed. I don’t know where to start first. Very good. Is this the same as this is a different thing on the date, right? So this is the local date from Kashkar. Uh, we got some nice yogurt with some sugar on top. This is from the eagle bone kaj food. So, uh, from the one eagle wing, he can only met one. It’s very rare to find. Let me see if I can play this. You have to [Music] You have to do this. Maybe. I can’t do this. So much smoother. So second one is the eagle dance. For the Tajiks of Tashkan, the eagle is a symbol of freedom and strength. In this traditional dance, performers mimic the eagle’s flight, honoring the bond between the people and the high mountain landscapes they call home. [Music] This is a Tajik folk song called Why Are the Pretty Flowers So Red? It’s about love, pain, and longing. In Tajik culture, nature often reflects emotion. Flowers, especially red ones, symbolize deep feelings, showing the deep relation Tajiks have to their environment. Heat. Heat. If they invite you, you can just dance with them together. Oh, really? Okay. Time for a group dance now. [Music] Louder. [Music] coming. What did it say? To stay here, please. Just stay a bit more. Yeah, I still love my tea. Yeah. And how many people do they live here? So, five, six together. 56. This is the place where they live in the winter time. Okay. I love the amount of detail. [Music] So when it’s summer, they put up this yurt and they live in here. Hello. Wow, it’s very warm in here. Oh, they even have TV in here. Beautiful. Yes. How far is the border from here? Actually, uh Pakistani Pakistan and Tajikistan and Kyrgystan is also close here or not? Kyan is from here. From Kashkar is like 200 km into Tajakistan. Tajikistan is close by just right there from here like a 30 k 30 30 km to the bud and in 60 km. Um, do they also have family that lives there or all all in Dashkaran? They are all in Tashkaran. I sensed my guide became uncomfortable whenever I asked about Tajikistan. This border region plays a quiet but strategic role in China’s plans. Roads built here support the Belgium road initiative linking China to Central and South Asia through routes like the China Pakistan economic corridor. For local Kyis and Tajik communities, family ties often stretch across borders into Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and beyond. But today movement is more restricted as China strengthens control and connectivity in this high altitude frontier. This eagle dance was really beautiful and nice, but I feel like to really see the daily life uh here in Tashkan beyond like the dressed up performances, I feel like I just had to go on on my own. So I told my guides that I uh would just leave them for now and just uh go and explore the rest of the city on my own. H Pakistani. No, Bishia. Biz. Do I look Pakistani? That’s okay. I don’t mind. Pakistani. I haven’t heard that before. It’s the first time that I hear someone call me Pakistani. These are all the sweets that I ate earlier. I saw before that these these are type of mints and I think they are made from the milk from the camel. This is maybe from the not from the camel because it shows a cow on there. You can see the Persian influence here because this here is called rabat. I think maybe it’s also called rabat here. But this is something that they use for cooking in a lot of Persian cuisine. Is this nabat? You call it nabatu. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So it’s the same name they have. Yeah. [Music] Belgia. Not Pakistan. Not Pakistan. Pakistan. No. No. No. That’s the second person that thinks I’m Pakistani. I don’t know what’s going on here. [Music] Since everyone thinks I’m Pakistani, here’s a Pakistani restaurant. Maybe I should go there cuz there’s also some uh Pakistani people living here. Hello. Hello. This is a Pakistani restaurant. Pakistan. Oh, great. Great. I’ll try to Pakistan. I’m proud to be a Pakistani. Hello. Hello. How are you? Good. How are you? Fine, thank you. Can I have chickpeas and chapati? Yeah, with chapati. Yes. Thank you. Wait, I’ll translate for you. Oh, how far is it from Belgium to China? Very far. Um, 7,000. Oh, so much kilometer. Belgium. China. China. Yes. Very far. Wife. Wife. No. No. No. Are you Tajik Han? Han. Ah, it’s Hanchinese. Okay. Okay. Okay. I see. You work here in Tashken? Yes. Ah, okay. Okay. In construction. Okay. Hard work. Bye-bye. Nice to meet you. Thank you. Thank you. You want more? Anything? No, it’s good. Very good. Thank you. Do you live here now? Yeah. Is there a lot of Pakistani people that live in Kash Kashkan? Yes. Yes. Okay. 4hour drives I can reach my home. How often do you go back then? It’s depend on my mood. Oh, so you Yeah. If I want with one and months I go after two or 3 months I can go. Okay. So, so you visit your family still? Yeah. 10 years I am in China. 10 years. And you’ve always been in Tashkar again? Yes. It’s very near my hometown. That’s why I did not go other places. Can I go as a foreigner from here in China to Pakistan? I can cross the border. Yeah, if you get a permission from a police or something, then you can easily go. Otherwise, you can visit here also in Hunza. But this season is a little bit I mean cold. It’s very beautiful place. Yeah. Lots of tourists. Before 911, lots of tourists coming. After 911, everything is Yeah, I heard about I don’t know what’s happening. That’s very sadly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But now everything has changed. uh 10 years here I can’t speak Chinese very difficult language the Chinese uh I can speak uh the local language Tajik language and the other is uguru yeah I can understand a little bit I can talk we are also Tajik we are Pakistani Tajik they are Chinese Tajik and in Afghanistan also have Taj Tajakhstan also have a Tajik people language is similar are too much different. There are two kinds of tajiki. One is wahi and one is sari. Ah, sarcoli. That’s right. And but here they speak. Yeah. And you can understand both. Yeah. One is my mother tongue. I can of course and the other I can understand 80 to 90% and I can speak 40 to 50. Do you have a lot of h Chinese tourists that come here? Yes. So if you if you talk with Chinese tourists that come here, like how do you talk with them if you don’t speak Chinese? So a little I can side yeah a little I can understand and I can maybe five to 10%. Do you miss Pakistan? Yes of course. Why not? Do you have children that in live in Pakistan? Four children. I have four children. Three son and one daughter. Do you have a bit of a a Pakistani community that live then in Tashkaram of like other Pakistani people that live here? No. I means they are coming they are living in hotel and the vis. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There were two people on the street earlier that told me that I look Pakistani. Do you think that I look Pakistani as a Pakistani? No. No. Right. See we got it confirmed. Thank you very much. Bye-bye. See you. 1.7 or [Music] 17 this uh 1.7. Okay. Okay. Okay. Very small amount. The clothing is so beautiful. I just got my favorite healthy snack, one carrot, and it was only 1.7 yuan. This bread here also looks extremely delicious. Salam. Can I have this? Ah. Oh, do you have uh do you have alipe? Ah, yes. Buishi here. You can uh if you go here and then you click here and then here I think and like that. I became a pro by now. Bye-bye. I have this situation with Alipe so often that by now I became a pro and now I’m just explaining to the Chinese how to uh do it. I walked around the quiet city and stumbled upon a tragic performance. [Music] Hello. Oh my [Music] Yes. These people have maintained their heritage through various bloodlines and made it stronger each time, immune to outer influence. A proof of traditional resilience that many ethnic minorities share around the world. [Music]

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I traveled to Tashkurgen, a remote border town in China’s far west, where Tajik, Kyrgyz, and Pakistani cultures meet in the high-altitude grasslands. From traditional eagle dances to rugged border checkpoints, this journey showed me a side of China few people ever get to see.

Travel Date: March 2025

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0:00 – Sensitive area;
1:43 – Nomadic life;
4:17 – How do ethnic minorities live here?;
6:27 – Invited by a Tajik family;
11:40 – Exploring Tashkurgan;
13:24 – Pakistanis in China;
18:29 – Eagle dance;

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Hi, I’m Jonathan Le Blanc. I’m a full-time traveler who wants to show the human side of traveling and give another perspective on how the mass media portrays certain locations to us.

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💟Edited by: @Ajjouche on IG

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