Hsuan Tsang crossed the Khyber Pass (bordering present day Afghanistan and Pakistan) and entered the country of Gandhara, which is now an area north of present day Pakistan. At that time it was part of northern India. It is said that before the British broadened the roads in that part of the world, the entryway to the mountain was only wide enough to allow two horses carrying cargo to go by. It was a location where bandits often appeared. Perhaps it was with the Buddha's blessings that Hsuan Tsang eventually traveled this passage without harm.

When Hsuan Tsang arrived at this place, Buddhism had already declined and Hinduism had replaced it. That was why Hsuang Tsang came across many non-Buddhists in the caves. Islam came into this area as late as the 10th Century, in the wake of Muhammad Ghazni's large army.

Religious conflicts cause India and Pakistan to divide

We continued to follow the path that Hsuan Tsang once walked. During the hours of sunset, one could hear distant voices of prayer coming from afar. About twenty civilians could be seen praying on the side of the road. Our driver Lashi pulled over and joined in the prayers. Our guide Shah, who remained in the front seat, turned around and told us that Lashi is a devout Muslim, and he will try to pray five times a day according to the Islamic principle.

Shah continued onto the topic of how the religious conflicts between Hindu and Muslim led to the war that almost broke out between India and Pakistan.

Shah said that Pakistan had always been a part of India. However, when the British withdrew from India, it was agreed that India would be divided into two. This set off a large-scale crisis that resulted from waves of refugees. It was estimated that at least 200,000 people were killed as they migrated between the two new countries.

The prayer ended, and Lashi returned to the car. Our usually quiet driver joined our conversation and told us that he believed Kashmir, the region he was born in, ought to be a part of Pakistan.

Pakistan has already lost two battles over the ownership of Kashmir. Up to this day, Pakistan still refuses to accept the legitimacy of Indian occupancy in Kashmir. On the other hand, India continues to accuse the Pakistanis for masterminding terrorist activities. In 1971, India supported Bangladesh in breaking away from Pakistan, and the two countries once again started a war; Pakistan again lost.

In order to find the 'ultimate end' to settle the issues between them, India and Pakistan both plunged into the development of nuclear weapons. Both countries simultaneously became members of the 'Nuclear Club' five years ago. Last year, the Indian legislature was attacked by terrorists, and the two countries came dangerously close to starting a nuclear war. Fortunately, international mediation put a stop to the dispute and prevented a potential nightmare.

The fantastic colorful painted truck

Hsuan Tsang made his way from the Khyber Pass to Purnsapura, the capital city of Gandhara (currently the city of Peshawar). Gandhara had been destroyed by the Hephthalites before Hsuan Tsang's arrival. Even though more than one hundred years lay between the invasion and his arrival, Hsuan Tsang could only see scenes of destruction and suffering everywhere-"the royalty relinquished emptied townships with very few residents."

Peshawar, this once sparsely populated city that had Hsuan Tsang lingering with sorrow and regret is now the biggest city in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It has a population of more than two million people, and is a prosperous city bustling with activity.

Peshawar is a city that mixes the ancient with the modern. Compared to the period of the Silk Road, the streets in Peshawar now have modern cars to replace camels. Yet, the horse and mule carriages that once carried Hsuan Tsang are still frequently utilized. Colorfully painted trucks mingle in this mixture of modern cars, horse and mule carriages, catching people's attention.

We went to the car garage that modifies these colorfully painted trucks, and LaYang, the owner, gave us a tour of the garage area. LaYang explained that the habit of decorating transportation was already present during the period of the Silk Road when people decorated their camels. This tradition has been maintained and now carries over to decorating cars.

In this large factory of seven hundred workers, we saw many child laborers. The youngest worker was around six or seven years old and assembled steel truck shock absorbers. The issue of child labor has always been the major problem in Pakistan. In this country only half of the children can afford to go to elementary school, and less than one-fifth of them are fortunate enough to attend junior high.

Car decoration is a purely custom-tailored industry. It requires the combined effort of soldering technicians, painters, and even carpenters to transform an ordinary truck into a magnificent piece of craftsmanship. The finished vehicle has a prominent "head piece", delicately carved wooden doors and fantastic interior decorations. LaYang further pointed out that all the artwork is not based on a pre-planned design, and is instead spontaneously created by the workers' creative talents.

The average time to decorate a car takes approximately one month. Compared with the monthly wage of less than $4,000 NT dollars for an average worker, the cost of the decoration, $300,000 rupees (around $5,500 or $6,000 US dollars), is a hefty sum. Yet, LaYang said confidentlythat he has never had to worry about running out of business.