Wakhjir Pass
Encyclopedia
The Wakhjir Pass is a mountain pass in the Hindu Kush
or Pamirs at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor
, the only pass between Afghanistan
and China
. It links Wakhan
in Afghanistan with the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang
, China, at an altitude of 4,923 m, but the pass is not an official border crossing point. The border has the sharpest official change of clocks of any international frontier (UTC+4:30
in Afghanistan to UTC+8
, China Standard Time, in China). Ludwig Adamec in his 1972 publication Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan identifies the Chinese name of the pass as Wa Ho Chi Erh Shan K'ou (pinyin: Waheqier Shankou).
There is no road across the pass. On the Afghan side the nearest road is a rough road to Sarhad-e Wakhan (also known as Sarhad-e Broghil), about 100 km from the pass by paths. On the Chinese side there is a jeep track about 15 km from the pass, which leads through the Taghdumbash Pamir
to the Karakoram Highway
80 km away. In the summer of 2009 the Chinese Ministry of Defence began construction of a new road to within 10 km of the border, for use by border guards. The pass is closed for at least five months a year and is open irregularly for the remainder.
Just below the pass on the Afghan side is an ice cave, at an altitude of 4,554 m. This is the source of the Wakhjir River, which ultimately flows to the Amu Darya
(or Oxus). The cave is therefore claimed as a source of the Amu Darya.
The terrain is extremely difficult, although Aurel Stein reported that the immediate approaches to the pass were "remarkably easy". There are few records of successful crossings by foreigners. Historically the pass was a trading route between Badakhshan
and Yarkand
used by merchants from Bajaor. It appears that Marco Polo
came this way, although he did not mention the pass by name. The Jesuit priest Benedict Goëz crossed from the Wakhan to China between 1602 and 1606. The next accounts are from the period of the Great Game
in the late 19th century. In 1868, a pundit
or Indian surveyor known as the Mirza, working for the Great Trigonometric Survey
of India
, crossed the pass. There were further crossings in 1874 by Captain T E Gordon of the British Army, in 1891 by Francis Younghusband
, and in 1894 by Lord Curzon. In May 1906 Sir Aurel Stein crossed, and reported that at that time the pass was used by only 100 pony loads of goods each way annually . Since then the only westerner to have crossed the pass seems to have been H W Tilman
in 1947.
In 1895 the pass was established as the border between China and Afghanistan in an agreement between the British and the Russians, although the Chinese and Afghans did not finally agree on the border until 1963.
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
or Pamirs at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor is commonly used as a synonym for Wakhan, an area of far north-eastern Afghanistan which forms a land link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China. The Corridor is a long and slender panhandle or salient, roughly long and between wide. It separates Tajikistan in the north...
, the only pass between Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It links Wakhan
Wakhan
Wakhan or "the Wakhan" is a very mountainous and rugged part of the Pamir and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in Badakshan Province.-Geography:...
in Afghanistan with the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, China, at an altitude of 4,923 m, but the pass is not an official border crossing point. The border has the sharpest official change of clocks of any international frontier (UTC+4:30
UTC+4:30
UTC+04:30 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +04:30. This time is used in:-As daylight saving time :*Iran...
in Afghanistan to UTC+8
UTC+8
UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...
, China Standard Time, in China). Ludwig Adamec in his 1972 publication Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan identifies the Chinese name of the pass as Wa Ho Chi Erh Shan K'ou (pinyin: Waheqier Shankou).
There is no road across the pass. On the Afghan side the nearest road is a rough road to Sarhad-e Wakhan (also known as Sarhad-e Broghil), about 100 km from the pass by paths. On the Chinese side there is a jeep track about 15 km from the pass, which leads through the Taghdumbash Pamir
Taghdumbash Pamir
Taghdumbash Pamir is a pamir or high valley in the south west of Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. It lies to the west of the Karakoram Highway...
to the Karakoram Highway
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both...
80 km away. In the summer of 2009 the Chinese Ministry of Defence began construction of a new road to within 10 km of the border, for use by border guards. The pass is closed for at least five months a year and is open irregularly for the remainder.
Just below the pass on the Afghan side is an ice cave, at an altitude of 4,554 m. This is the source of the Wakhjir River, which ultimately flows to the Amu Darya
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya , also called Oxus and Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers...
(or Oxus). The cave is therefore claimed as a source of the Amu Darya.
The terrain is extremely difficult, although Aurel Stein reported that the immediate approaches to the pass were "remarkably easy". There are few records of successful crossings by foreigners. Historically the pass was a trading route between Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
and Yarkand
Yarkand
Yarkant County , is a county in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, located on the southern rim of the Taklamakan desert in the Tarim Basin. It is one of 11 counties administered under Kashgar Prefecture...
used by merchants from Bajaor. It appears that Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
came this way, although he did not mention the pass by name. The Jesuit priest Benedict Goëz crossed from the Wakhan to China between 1602 and 1606. The next accounts are from the period of the Great Game
The Great Game
The Great Game or Tournament of Shadows in Russia, were terms for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. The classic Great Game period is generally regarded as running approximately from the Russo-Persian Treaty of 1813...
in the late 19th century. In 1868, a pundit
Pundit (explorer)
The term pundit or pandit was used in the second half of the 19th century to denote native surveyors who explored regions to the north of India for the British....
or Indian surveyor known as the Mirza, working for the Great Trigonometric Survey
Great Trigonometric Survey
The Great Trigonometric Survey was a project of the Survey of India throughout most of the 19th century. It was piloted in its initial stages by William Lambton, and later by George Everest. Among the many accomplishments of the Survey were the demarcation of the British territories in India and...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, crossed the pass. There were further crossings in 1874 by Captain T E Gordon of the British Army, in 1891 by Francis Younghusband
Francis Younghusband
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, KCSI, KCIE was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer...
, and in 1894 by Lord Curzon. In May 1906 Sir Aurel Stein crossed, and reported that at that time the pass was used by only 100 pony loads of goods each way annually . Since then the only westerner to have crossed the pass seems to have been H W Tilman
Bill Tilman
Major Harold William "Bill" Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.-Early years and Africa:...
in 1947.
In 1895 the pass was established as the border between China and Afghanistan in an agreement between the British and the Russians, although the Chinese and Afghans did not finally agree on the border until 1963.