KHUNJERAB: As summer tourism peaks from June to August, Pakistani businessman Rahber Khan is seeing brisk business at his small restaurant perched on the China-Pakistan border.
From 9 a.m. to noon, the Eagle Nest Coffee Room serves a fusion of Pakistani and Chinese dishes. “We want to mix both cuisines,” Khan said. “I offer special service and even show customers how we Pakistani people enjoy our meals.”
Khan has been running his restaurant since 2012. Originally from Hunza, a town near the border, he says the warm welcome from local people in Xinjiang has been key to his success. “People here are very kind, especially the Tajik community. They respect and support us a lot,” he noted.
With similar tastes for beef, lamb and hearty dishes, Khan feels at home in the region. “Life here is very comfortable for me and my family. Pakistan is my first home, but my second home is China,” he said proudly. “I’ve built a new house, my four children are in universities, and I feel lucky to support them through this business.”
The Khunjerab Pass, the only land border crossing between China and Pakistan, has long been a vital trade artery along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Once open only eight months a year due to snow and altitude, it became a year-round crossing in December 2024, giving merchants like Khan greater opportunities.
Tashkurgan County in China and Hunza in Pakistan signed a sister-city agreement in June 2023 to promote cooperation in border trade, tourism and infrastructure, deepening people-to-people ties across the frontier. Beyond trade, the pass is now a cultural and tourism hub, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year. –Agencies
