Four of the world's great mountain chains, the Tianshan, Kunlun, Karakorum and Hindu Kush, converge in China's western borders to create the Pamir Highland. It was from here that Marco Polo and his companions first entered the land of China centuries ago.

Now 700 years later at Kunjirap Pass on the Sino Pakistani border, a thoroughfare leads across the same barren mountains, via which busloads of Pakistan business people and tourists come into China every day. Travellers today still have to suffer some of the hardships the cold and the problems due to lack of oxygen - that Marco Polo had to endure, but for only a few hours rather than 12 days.

The barbarous tribes written about by Marco Polo no longer exist, Instead, the area is inhabited by the Tajiks, who follow the Islamic faith. They love to sing and dance and are very hospitable and kind. One similarity with olden days is that they raise the same kind of super-long-horned sheep that Marco Polo once saw.

Along the way, we passed many of the ancient post stations, lakes, rivers and mountains that Marco Polo described in his book The Travels of Marco Polo. We also ran into a group of foreigners trying to climb a great mountain peak mentioned by Marco Polo in his book. Coincidentally, they turned out to be from Italy, compatriots of Marco Polo.

Throughout Chinese history, travellers from the Western Regions and India have had to pass through the Pamir Highland. Zhang Qian, an envoy sent by the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D, 220)to tim Western Regions and the famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (Tripitaka) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) both had to surmount this cold and inhospitable highland.

Seven centuries later, we found ourselves following in the footsteps of such venerable explorers, although we had the benefit of a car to take us into the Pamirs. Though it was towards the end of August when we arrived, it felt like autumn on the highland, which is an average of 4,000 metres above sea level.