2023 Jul Pamir Plateau · “Touch the Summit” Family Camp

In July 2023, we supported five families from Shanghai and Beijing on a summer expedition to the Pamir Plateau—our “Touch the Summit” family camp. More than a trip, it was a journey of family growth and self-discovery: helping each child and parent build a first life milestone and harvest nature, culture, and connection.

We set out from the Hongqilapu border outpost. For the first time the kids saw the Five-Star Red Flag flying high on the frontier and took photos with soldiers stationed near 5,000 m, feeling the weight of duty and steadfastness. Following the eastbound route of Master Xuanzang, we entered the mysterious Wakhan Corridor and the coiling Panlong ancient road—looking over the narrow valley that once linked the Silk Road and sensing where history and civilization meet.

Next came the Pamir volcanic fields and alpine lakes—Sand Lake, “Karakul Lake,” and others. In that vastness, parents rediscovered long-lost calm; the children ran across stony shores and learned to identify high-plateau plants and the basics of volcanic landforms, their eyes bright with curiosity about Earth.

The highlight was the Muztagh Ata Base Camp. Glaciers and snowfields along the approach gave “touching the summit” a tangible meaning. Parents and kids hiked at altitude shoulder to shoulder, encouraging one another and breaking through physical and mental limits. When everyone posed at base camp to receive a “high-altitude trekking certificate,” achievement and joy filled every face.

This camp broadened the children’s horizons in nature and culture and taught parents, through companionship and challenge, to balance letting go with trust. After sharing wind, snow, and sunlight, family bonds tightened; the kids stepped upward in courage and responsibility—understanding that a “summit” is not only the height of a mountain, but the height of the heart’s growth.