Pakistanis call Karakoram "the eighth wonder of mankind" because the highway is one of the most daring engineering projects ever attempted. A road that any adventurer wishes to conquer.
Karakoram Expressway section in Pakistan.
Wonders built by human power
The 1,290km-long Karakoram Expressway starts from the capital Islamabad, connecting the Pakistani provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan to the city of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region. This legendary route was started by the two governments of China and Pakistan in 1959 and completed 20 years later, in 1979.
To build this route, thousands of workers had to cut through the jagged, dangerous gorges along the Indus River. Modern transport could not reach, engineers had to disassemble the bulldozers, load the parts on donkeys and reassemble when starting the bulldozer work. The Pakistani army used Mi-17 heavy helicopters to transport bulldozers, but the first flight was due to trying to fly in high winds and through narrow ravines, so the plane hit a cliff, exploded and crashed. into the Indus River, killing all nine people on board. Nearly 1,000 Pakistani workers and 200 Chinese workers died during construction, mainly due to landslides and falls into the abyss.
Life on the highway
To fully explore this "eighth wonder", I set out from Rawalpindi, 14km south of Islamabad. Journey through the town of Abbottabad - where the terrorist leader Bin Laden was killed. Here life is still bustling and peaceful, laughter, talking, buying and selling, bustling the whole market. The friendly red-bearded old man smiled when I asked if I could take a photo, the children were still chirping on the way home from school and the sound of peaceful prayers came from a few speakers at the church. Along the way, there are many tea shops serving traditional Pakistani Chai milk tea and Nan cake.
Due to being located in an area with dangerous terrain, Karakoram Expressway is frequently damaged by landslides. After passing a section of road that was being repaired, I began to enter Karimabad, the heart of Hunza valley - which is known as the paradise on earth. The scene here makes me go from one surprise to another. The majestic Baltit Fort is breathtakingly beautiful at the foot of the mountain in autumn, amidst the red and yellow trees and in the brilliant afternoon sun. Hundreds of golden old apricot trees mixed with green bushes and red leaves create an impressive picture. The villages are rich, nestled in the valley and surrounded by mountains. Stopping in a small village, I felt like I was lost in a fairyland, just wanted to lie on the grass under the ancient apricot trees, enjoying the peaceful and comfortable moments forever.
Continue your journey to Lake Attabad and the town of Passu famous for its legendary mountain range Passu The Cathedral Ridge. This is probably the most beautiful road in the whole highway with spiky mountains proudly printed against the deep blue sky. On January 4, 2010, a landslide in the village of Attabad blocked the flow of the Hunza River and created Lake Attabad with a length of 21km and a depth of more than 100m. Passu is just a small town but the people are very friendly and hospitable, you will be invited to drink Chai tea when you pass by any house in the village.
From Passu, it is only about 100km more to go to Sost - the last town before arriving at Khunjreab border gate on the border of Pakistan and China. After completing the exit procedures from Pakistan, I will go to the checkpoint on Khunjrab pass and go another 130km to the entry point to China in Tashkurgan town. Karakoram Highway from Tashkurgan to Kashgar beautiful winding road, passing through many mountains, clear blue lake. The scenery on both sides is wild and barren but extremely majestic. Going all 1,290km of Karakoram, I was very fortunate to admire 4 famous mountain ranges, Nanga Parbat, Rakaposhi, Passu Cathedral and Mustagh Ata. Nanga Parbat is the 9th highest mountain in the world with an altitude of 8,125m above sea level. Rakaposhi is located in the Karakoram range, 7,788m above sea level, is the 27th highest mountain in the world and 12th in Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "White Snow Mountain" in Pakistani. The Passu Cones or Passu Cathedral ranges are a series of peaks over 6,000m high and the Mustagh Ata mountain range 7,509m high in China.
Indeed, through many deep abysses, high passes, and rugged mountains, I understood why people say Karakoram is "the eighth wonder of mankind". Those who have come here must admire the people who created this legendary road so that today people and tourists everywhere can travel easily and conveniently. Karakoram is not only a highway, but also a challenging journey, rich in culture, history and truly worthwhile for everyone to experience once in a lifetime.
According to Hanoimoi
