Tashkurgan

The name of Tashkurgan means "stone city" or "stone fort", and the town lies in the extreme South-West of the province of Xinjiang, in the Tajik Autonomous County. At an altitude of 3600m, it lies at the foot of the road leading to the Kunjerhab Pass, the Karakoram Highway - and Pakistan. In fact, the only road to Tashkurgan which is open to foreigners is the main one from Kashgar to Sost on the Pakistan side of the border and the town houses the border crossing post with customs and immigration. (Technically, the border is open from April 15th until October 31st - although these dates can move due to weather conditions.) It's position gave the town an importance, as it marked the entrance to China proper from the South Asian continent - especially from British India in the days of the Great Game. Younghusband (the explorer) and Macartney (probably the most famous of the British consuls in Kashgar) arrived here in 1890. Safdar Ali, the deposed ruler of Karimabad arrived here, fleeing from advancing British troops, in 1891. Just before the First World War, the Russians occupied the fort with a contingent of Cossacks.

The town maintains a colourful and interesting atmosphere - with contrasting elements between the influence of the Han Chinese and central Asian cultures - Tajik, Kyrgyz and Uighur. There are limited options for accommodation and food.

Perhaps the only major attraction is the Stone City - variously described as a 14th century fort or as Pliny's "Stone Tower" - which sits in a commanding position, atop a hill overlooking the plain below. Now, all that remains are stone ruins - but for those with imagination it is possible to envisage the strategic importance that the settlement once held.