Cross-Border Expedition Log: From Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Almaty, Kazakhstan (November 21-22, 2025)

Uzbekstan intentional bus station

i am mr aOSIMAN TUOHESUN ,FROM ZEPU COUNTY, XINJIANG,CHINA, COMPANY AT YIWU CITY, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE ,On the afternoon of November 21, 2025, with the anticipation of expanding into the Central Asian market, I boarded a long-distance bus from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, bound for Almaty, Kazakhstan. This international bus was like a mobile “mini United Nations,” filled with passengers from various countries – Russian merchants transporting goods, locals speaking fluent Kazakh, Uzbek compatriots familiar with Central Asian trade, and several Chinese compatriots heading to Almaty like myself. The journey was long but not dull. I proactively struck up a conversation with a Russian merchant sitting next to me. He frequently traveled between China, Russia, and Central Asian countries for import and export business. We discussed everything from the logistics costs of cross-border trade to local consumer preferences, from language communication techniques to strategies for selecting shop locations. Our shared business experiences made for a very engaging conversation, and the travel time flew by in our animated exchange.

After departing from downtown Tashkent, the bus first headed to the border crossing between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. This crossing is only about 35 kilometers from Tashkent, making it one of the most convenient routes between the two cities and a preferred choice for many merchants traveling across borders. Upon arrival, the scene was bustling with activity, a constant stream of vehicles and pedestrians queuing for clearance. The air was filled with a busy yet orderly atmosphere. Although the customs procedures were complex, they were smooth. I went through security checks with all my luggage, from document verification to baggage scanning. Every step was strictly organized. Perhaps due to thorough preparation, I encountered no obstacles and successfully completed the customs procedures for both countries, truly experiencing the smoothness of a “smooth journey.”

After successfully clearing customs, I waited briefly in the waiting area at the border. Approximately 40 minutes later, the bus to Almaty arrived on schedule. Once back on board, the vehicle sped towards Almaty. The scenery gradually shifted from the desert farmlands of Uzbekistan to the grasslands and hills of Kazakhstan. The setting sun painted the horizon in a gentle orange-red, and the evening breeze blowing through the car window carried a sense of comfort and anticipation for the cross-border journey. After several hours of travel, the bus finally rolled into the Almaty bus station early the next morning. This largest city in Kazakhstan, known as the “City of Apples,” revealed its prosperity and vibrancy in the morning light.

As soon as I exited the bus station, I learned that there was a direct bus to Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, that day. However, after a brief discussion with my accompanying friends, we unanimously decided to stay in Almaty for a day. Firstly, we could use this time to promote the WorldHub e-commerce platform, and secondly, we could conduct on-site market research to gather firsthand information for future market expansion. With our plan set, I immediately searched and compared several hotels on Google Maps, eventually choosing one that was close to the bus station and offered excellent value for money. We then took a taxi to the hotel, a journey of only about 2 kilometers, costing 800 Kazakhstani tenge (approximately RMB 12 yuan). The local transportation costs were much more affordable than expected.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we quickly checked in. The long cross-border bus journey had left me somewhat fatigued, so I rested in my room for 2 hours. After regaining my energy, I met up with my friends and, armed with 1,000 WorldHub platform promotional flyers prepared in advance, began the day’s promotion work.

We walked along the streets surrounding the hotel, approaching both passersby and shops along the way. I proactively handed out flyers, patiently introducing the platform’s core advantages in simple Russian, Kazakh, and Chinese – direct connection to high-quality Chinese factories, a wide range of products, favorable prices, and the ability to supply all categories including hardware and electrical appliances, clothing and undergarments, and home appliances and digital products. Many merchants, after receiving the flyers, seriously inquired about the platform’s registration process and partnership models. Some pedestrians also actively asked for flyers, saying they would recommend them to friends engaged in foreign trade. This further strengthened my confidence in the promotion.

In the afternoon, we made a special trip to Almaty’s largest comprehensive wholesale market – a veritable “commercial hub” of the city. The market was clearly divided into sections, with rows of hardware and electrical appliance shops, a diverse selection of women’s lingerie stalls, and bustling areas for home appliances and small electronics. It practically covered all the daily life and wholesale trade needs of the local population and was a key area for our promotion. My friend and I divided our tasks: one responsible for the hardware and home appliance section, the other focusing on clothing, lingerie, and small electronics. We went from stall to stall, handing out flyers and explaining in detail how the platform could address local merchants’ pain points of “limited sourcing options and high prices.” We answered their questions one by one, covering product quality, logistics timeliness, bulk purchase discounts, and after-sales service. Unknowingly, all 1,000 flyers were distributed. Seeing the flyers clutched in the merchants’ hands and the interest in their eyes, I truly felt the value of this promotion.

After distributing the flyers, we returned to the hotel for a brief rest. That evening, my friend and I had a simple dinner together in the hotel lobby. Considering my friend usually doesn’t eat meat, we specially ordered fresh fruit, sweet cake, and hot coffee. The simple meal was filled with warmth. After dinner, I didn’t rest immediately. Instead, I took out my laptop and, with my friend, we delved into tool development. Based on the issues encountered during the day’s market promotion, such as “difficulty locating shops” and “language communication barriers,” we decided to develop two practical tools: one is a map-based shop locator tool that can accurately pinpoint the location, main product categories, and contact information of shops in wholesale markets across Central Asian countries, facilitating precise follow-up connections. The other is a multi-language translation tool supporting real-time translation for Chinese, Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, and other languages, to overcome cross-border communication obstacles. We clearly divided our responsibilities, with one person designing the functional framework and the other focusing on data input and debugging. The entire development process was smooth and efficient. It was late into the night when the core functions of both tools were successfully completed. It was a tiring but fulfilling day that ended with a sense of accomplishment.

On the morning of November 22, I woke up early, packed my luggage, and checked out of the hotel with my friend. We then headed directly to the Almaty bus station. As I boarded the bus to Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, my heart was filled with harvest and anticipation. This brief trip to Almaty not only successfully distributed 1,000 promotional flyers, introducing the WorldHub platform to more Central Asian merchants, but also allowed for on-site inspection of the largest wholesale market, gaining insights into market demands for categories such as hardware and electrical appliances, and women’s lingerie. Furthermore, we successfully developed two cross-border trade tools, laying a solid foundation for future market expansion. As the bus slowly started, it sped towards the Chinese border. The scenery outside receded, but in my heart, I was already planning the next Central Asian market research trip, looking forward to writing more new chapters of cross-border trade in this land full of opportunities.