This video circulating the other day really took me back to my own brief time in the Pamirs. I also gleaned a few details which inspired me as to the state-driven commitment to development by the CPC. A friend told me to write a thread about Pamirs, so here goes

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I think to start, it's helpful to get an overlay of the land. This map by Markus Hauser is a bit cluttered but should do the trick. The Pamirs lie mostly in Tajikistan in what is now known popularly as GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan), but the range extends to Afghanistan and China

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The people of the Pamirs all speak distinct languages from each other and from Tajiki Persian which in its high register is very similar to Iranian Persian. These languages mostly follow geographic lines ie the valleys. Shughni, Wakhi, and Sarikoli are the more common ones

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Shughni is spoken in Khorugh, the regional capital of GBAO, and up the Gunt River valley. Wakhi is spoken in the famed Wakhan Corridor, a tourist favorite that follows the Panj River. Sarikoli is the language of the Tajiks in China.

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Most Pamiris share the Nizari Ismai'li faith of Shia Islam. Nizari is the historic religion of the Assassins in Alamut and Masyaf, but is now led by the Aga Khan, whose Development Network (AKDN) does much work in GBAO, sometimes reportedly butting heads with Dushanbe

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One thing I want to emphasize with the Pamirs is that the terrain is very difficult. Caveat: I went 4 years ago for combined time of 3 weeks, so my exp is old, but we're talking in GBAO's case single lane dirt roads as highways connecting valleys. Heavy duty vehicles needed

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It was impossible to do this trip in winter, when snow would block the roads, and spring, when the melting snow increases risks of rock slides. From Dushanbe to Khorugh alone, driving is a day and a half trip, average 563 km trip.

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Under such conditions, combined with political malaise (2012 unrest), dvlpmnt becomes exceedingly difficult. Indeed, much of the province is underdeveloped. The photo here is of the bazaar in Murghob, a town of mostly Kyrgyzs. It's literally just discarded truck containers.

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I don't want to overstate it: Khorugh is a thriving place, with a sizable bazaar, an AKDN sponsored university, and the world's second highest botanical garden (dang China stole first in Shangri-La, Yunnan)

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But the region still faces many developmental challenges, even in Khorugh, and all too clear in the many isolated villages of the region. It is a region where the Gunt River can flood and destroy all livelihoods in but one unfortunate season

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Which brings me back to the Douyin video. For me, what is so inspiring is this: the valley where Taxkorgan is situated has exactly the same challenges as GBAO: difficult terrain, different people/cultures, very far from Kashgar (290 km) much less the dvlp'ed East

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On top of that are restive border issues. Tajikistan faces constant threats from GBAO's long and mountainous border with Afghanistan. Taxkorgan, similarly, is the last town in China before Pakistan via Khunjerab. There is also 76km border with Afghanistan...

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Taxkorgan is but a 170kg distance from Murghob, yet the differences are great. In that video you can glean open and large public spaces, the people are wearing fine material and accessories, the tools they use are of the great quality, and the roads are large and expansive

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I don't mean this as a knock against TJ, but Taxkorgan having this level of development with all the difficulties I've seen myself is really smtg! To me, it is a testament to China's programme to eradicate poverty and pursue dvlp

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I hope sorely to go one day to Taxkorgan, since the Pamirs are wicked beautiful. If you ever get the chance to go to GBAO, I highly recommend for its beautiful scenery and friendly people. I made good friends with the drivers and had fun exps

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For me, I will always remember chatting with the driver about every topic, my trying to describe Hong Kong to them, and the absolutely rousing scene of traversing miles of barren dirt road along the Panj before suddenly coming upon lush settlements of tall cypruses

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