__NOTOC__ Karachukar Valley or Chalachigu Valley () is a valley in

Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (often shortened to Tashkurgan County and officially spelled Taxkorgan) is an autonomous county of Kashgar Prefecture, in western Xinjiang, China. The county seat is Tashkurgan. The county is the only Tajik ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It contains the basin of the Karachukar River, a tributary of the Tashkurgan River, and is regarded as part of

Taghdumbash Pamir Taghdumbash Pamir ( or historically ) or Taxkorgan Nature Reserve is a '' pamir'' or high valley in the south west of Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, in Xinjiang, China. It lies to the west of the Karakoram Highway. It is inhabited by Wakhi, ...

. The valley borders

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

(

Wakhan Corridor The Wakhan Corridor (; ) is a narrow strip of territory in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. This corridor stretches eastward, connecting Afghanistan to Xinjiang, China. It also separates the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajiki ...

Little Pamir The Little Pamir ( Wakhi: ''Wuch Pamir''; Kyrgyz: ''Kichik Pamir''; ) is a broad U-shaped grassy valley or '' pamir'' in the eastern part of the Wakhan in north-eastern Afghanistan. The valley is 100 km long and 10 km wide, and is bou ...

) to the west and northwest,

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

to the north, and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

(

Gojal Gojal ( Wakhi: , Kyrgyz: ), also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass and the Shimshal valley, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karac ...

or upper Hunza) to the south. The name of the valley is from Kyrgyz, meaning "black cave". The valley is part of the Taxkorgan Nature Reserve. The protected

Marco Polo sheep The Marco Polo sheep (''Ovis ammon polii'') is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat are the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. ...

is only found in the wild around this area. The region is often referred to by the Chinese as the Chinese portion of the

. There is an ethnic Kyrgyz village called Bayik ( or ). The entire Chalachigu Valley is closed to visitors. However, local residents and herders from the area are permitted access. In March 2017,

CCTV-7 CCTV-7 (, China Central Television Defense and Military Channel), is a Chinese free-to-air television channel owned by China Central Television. The channel primarily carries programming devoted to the People's Liberation Army. Prior to 1 August ...

's ''Documentary for Military'' program produced a mini-series covering the numerous border outposts in Chalachigu Valley.

Mountain Passes

The valley was a significant thoroughfare of the

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

during ancient times. Around the valley are numerous passes connecting to other countries: * Tajikistan - Beyik Pass * Afghanistan -

Wakhjir Pass The Wakhjir Pass, Ludwig W. Adamec. Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan Vol. 1. Badakhshan Province and northeastern Afghanistan. Graz : Akad. Druck- und Verl.-Anst., 1972.p. 185. also spelled Vakhjir Pass, is a mountain pass on th ...

, Tegermansu Pass * Pakistan -

Kilik Pass The Kilik Pass (elevation ; ; ) to the west of Mintaka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains between Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. The two passes were, in ancient times, the two main access points into ...

Mintaka Pass The Mintaka Pass or Mingteke Pass or Mintika Pass() is a mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains, between northern Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. In ancient times, the Mintaka Pass and the nearby Kilik Pass, to the west, were the two main ac ...

Of the above passes, it is believed that the famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim

Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...

traveled through

on his return trip back to China around 649 AD. Some Chinese historians argue that he also used Beyik Pass on his way to India.

Notes

References

; Sources *

External links

Kalachukur river basin
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 27 May 2022. {{Authority control Valleys of Xinjiang Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County

Mountain Passes

See also

Notes

References

External links