Is the road, border or area open and accessible to foreigners? Is there danger?
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Crossed this border China => Tadjikistan early september 2019.
I started in Tashkurgan (pleasant place for one day visit by the way) with the 10am bus to Kashgar, that actually left at 11:15am. I paid the full price (65 yuans) even if I left after one and a half hour. Beware : the road is in pretty bad conditions because huge works are in progress.
On chinese side I was alone. A good experiment for chinese police ! They were 4 or 5 around me, always polite. They checked all my devices, even the movies I had on my laptop (luckily nothing too embarrassing ). They asked me some questions too.
Process is smoother on tadjik side, where facilities are really old fashioned compared to China. There, only one car was waiting. At first the driver asked me 500 somoni, finally we agreed on 200 yuans. Very few cars cross there and Tadjikistan is a poor country, so I didn't want to bargain harder for what ? 4, 5 euros ?
I arrived in Murghab at 3:30pm local time. Road was horrible. Good introduction to the east of Tadjikistan.
I was having dinner yesterday in Dushanbe with a Chinese businessman who tried to arrange me to go with a truck from his company to Kashgar - result was the border shuts 28th September for Chinese national day celebrations and doesn't reopen until 4th October. Less sure about reopening date, and 28th is a Saturday so I'm going to try 27th. Anyway, I was planning on going Monday 30th, but it will be closed apparently. Obviously his word isn't gospel but he does do a lot of business across the border so would trust him.
Found this surprisingly easy. I've done some freelance journalistic work on China before (although I was entering on a tourist visa for purely touristic purposes) so I was a nervous as hell. Especially since I was entering a few days before national day, and the 70th anniversary - very sensitive time, very sensitive region. My plan is/was also to just stay in Kashgar then go straight to Kyrgyzstan, so also a bit of a weird travel plan. Woke up early Friday 27th at Murghab truck stop just outside of town (there is a 25 somoni room you can get and decent cafe). Friend who speaks much better russian than me helped arrange a lift with driver. About four hours journey in truck with appalling road, but very nice views. Left seven, think I arrived around 11, and was through other side by 12 or half past (1500 Beijing time) so only 1-2 hours border crossing. I walked across, changed some money into yuan at a truly, truly, extortionate rate, so try to get some beforehand... Did some customs stuff on Tajik side and then headed towards the flags and heavy armour of the Chinese side. They were thoroughly pleasant throughout. I sort of downplayed my Chinese so I could understand better then Chinese speaking officer was asking the English speaker to ask, but the English speaking guard spoke much better English than my Chinese anyway. They searched my stuff, and didn't even take my multitool. I have two British passports, which was a bit of a problem, but the English speaker sort of seemed on my side with regards to explaining this is allowed in UK. Other problem was that I didn't have an entry stamp for last time I was in china, but didn't really make them sucpicious, they just wanted a decent explanation, which I provided (old passport destroyed). We then went on bus to a further checkpoint and the English speaker interviewed me/chatted while the chinese speaker asked me to turn on my devices and he looked through phone while we chatted. He was obviously trying to extract info, but it was a fairly light grilling. I just talked a lot and joked, and luckily no dangerous questions came up - I just told the truth but obviously didn't mention my sort of profession as a writer. They asked what I do and I said I was just travelling this year, but hoped to study in Beijing next year (the truth). He asked me why I had chosen this time of year to visit Kashgar, I obviously didn't mention national day, just said I wanted to see Kashgar, and I needed to do so now so I could get to Kyrgyz before snow starts. Luckily they didn't ask me if I'd been to Kashgar before, as I think this might have made them sucpicious. Phone wise I had been ultra cautious in deleting all my WhatsApp, Gmail, etc as well as any photos I thought would be at all sucpicious. They went through all my files and only think they didn't like was a photo I took of a fellow travellers passport ( I explained I was helping him get a visa), and embarrasingly some nudes id been sent in a WhatsApp folder, which the English speaker asked me very shyly to delete! I'd had a lot of reading materials about china on my laptop, but I'd wiped everything, and explained I just used it for browsing and they were fine. My VPN actually popped up when I turned it on, but the English speaker closed the window quickly, I don't know whether he was helping me out or just not a problem... Then I waited in a room for half an hour for someone to finish lunch who then escorted me to customs building, where I had to explain my travel plans and two passport thing to about five officers, but they were fairly chill once they got it... Then I had my almonds from tj confiscated and I was free to go! No transport on other side at all. I hitchhiked with two cars all the way to kashgar with not much problem.
I had no idea whether the border was open or not as there was no information anywhere online. But there was no other option for me to cross to China. Reached the tajik side of the border in a truck very late at night so we slept in the truck itself. It was so cold outside (-25). Border was opened at 9:30am tajik time. It took long for me in the tajik side as "INDIA" was missing in their system.
1 pm chinese time : Walked to the chinese side. Border staff was friendly but strict . They checked everything in my bag and also my phone. Didnt check my cameras or hard disks. They use a translator to communicate with us. didnt let me cross the border in a truck though the tajik drivers were willing to help me. I had to pay 50 Yuan to cross the border to Kalasu port in a chinese taxi which they arrange for us (14 kms)
2:30pm reached Kalasu but I had to wait for the officers to come. They were having lunch I guess. Questioning again. Same questions. Checked my passport thoroughly. Asked if I have any books with me. It was stressful but I kept smiling and answering as polite as possible haha.
Finished all procedures and came out at 4:10pm
I told myself.. Welcome to Xinjiang !!
Hitchhiked to Kashgar in a car
While checking maps.me, I realized they deleted "Xinjiang region" offline map from my phone
I’m reading great and very helpful stories about crossing the pass, but for now I’m stuck with the proper way of obtaining the right visa.
People say that you have to book an inbound and outbound flight which you can cancel later, and the same for accommodation, from whom you’ll get an LOI.
But if I do this for a fake itinerary, and get all the needed documents, can I then just go to the border on a moment that suits me, and I’m accepted in?
If anyone can talk me through their visa experience in relation to a transit from tajikistan to pakistan, that would be of great help!
I emailed with Roof of the World Travel in Dushanbe and they said it’s only open for chinese and tajik nationals. Still trying to get more info or reports from post covid
We plan crossing the border from China to Kyrgystan by bike, we would like to cross the Tortugart Border.
Has anyone experience with...
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The Torugart pass requires a special permit and guide. I've never heard of anyone doing this by bike (and the cost for a vehicle is around $400), but...
). They asked me some questions too.
. They checked everything in my bag and also my phone. Didnt check my cameras or hard disks. They use a translator to communicate with us. didnt let me cross the border in a truck though the tajik drivers were willing to help me. I had to pay 50 Yuan to cross the border to Kalasu port in a chinese taxi which they arrange for us (14 kms)
