On September 9, 2025, a delegation of journalists visited the Khorgos border town in the Kazakhe autonomous prefecture in the ouïgoure autonomous region of Xinjiang. The objective was to better understand the operations of this border post, which was already an important relay of the old Silk route under the Suis dynasties (581-618) and Tang (618-907).
Khorgos, which means “the place where riches accumulate” in Kazakh, is a strategic crossroads between China and Kazakhstan. Its sixth border door, commissioning in 2018, separates the flows of passengers and goods. In 2024, she saw 1.37 million travelers pass.
The Khorgos rail terminal, open in 2017, is a major place of exchange. Each day, 27 China-Europe and Central China freight trains pass on average, for a total of 49,000 trips to 18 countries. The road terminal experiences an equally intense activity, with the export of 421,000 vehicles in 2024.
The evolution of Khorgos is a strong symbol. From a simple border post, she turned into an international crossroads that embodies commercial prosperity and the confidence of China.
Text and photos: Yu Jie, editorial member
