Pakistani handicrafts are on show at the 9th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in northwest China, which runs from 2 to 4 November.
Khan Traders, a business run by brothers Naeem Mirza and Munir Muhammad, has brought about 100 handmade pieces in rosewood, brass and stone. They include candy jars, tea tables, jewellery boxes and dried-fruit trays.
“Totally handmade, no machine,” says Naeem. One visitor asked whether a glossy jar was plastic. He told them it was Pakistani rosewood and compared it to huali, the rosewood used in Chinese classical furniture.
He also brought brass horses for the Chinese Year of the Horse. If he had to choose one product for Chinese buyers, it would be the pale green stone he calls Pakistani jade. “This colour is natural.”
Munir has been doing business in China for about two years and plans to stay in Dunhuang for another two months. He expects the stone and wood pieces to sell best.
Pakistan’s exports to China rose 8.4% to US$2.68 billion in FY2025–26, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
