- In Indian Kashmir bordering China and Central Asia, Gurez, once a stop on the Silk Road, has been reinventing itself since going online and gaining an air transport service
Once upon a time, the Gurez Valley was on the Silk Road connecting Kashmir with China and Central Asia.
Trading posts such as this were melting pots where merchants, traders, scholars, and travellers interacted and exchanged goods, and ideas.
Silk Road outposts like Gurez declined in importance with the discovery of sea routes in the 17th century.
With the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Gurez ended up on the Indian side of the border. Subsequent India-Pakistan conflict and the resultant border restrictions have had lasting consequences for the region’s economy, culture and society.
The people here have always dreamed of showcasing their unique entrepot of culture and tradition, and with the internet finally reaching the remote region four years ago, and the launch of a helicopter service, potential tourists can access information about, and plan trips to, this hidden gem in the Himalayas.
As travel ramps up after the coronavirus pandemic and with regional tensions having mellowed for now, what this former Silk Road commercial hub does now it is digitally connected will determine Gurez’s progress towards a new kind of prosperity.
