Like all Central Asian capitals, Dushanbe is less than a century old, so there are no historical sites to speak of. Most new buildings were built in the last couple of decades after their civil war ended in 1997. In a poor country, getting the funds to build large extravagant structures can be difficult. But, selling your soul to China is an option. In fact, China owns over half of Tajikistan’s debt, and at one point when Tajikistan couldn’t pay her dues, the government ceded a 1,000 square meter area in the Pamir Mountains along the border to China in 2011.
The fiscally responsible thing to do is to continue using this old Soviet style Parliament.Instead, Tajikistan received a “no-strings attached” $230 million from China to build a new parliament building that was just completed in July 2024. We all know there’s no such thing as “no-strings attached”.A side by side comparison of Old and NewThis is another government building recently built under the same package.View of the new parliament from Rudaki parkPalace of the Nation where the president lives, sits across the parliament on the other end of the park.Palace of the Nation from another vantage point.Government buildingThe $40 million National Library
If one never steps out of the city perimeter, one would have thought that Tajikistan was a well to do country. But what we saw on our way to Iskanderkul Lake suggests otherwise – pot holed dusty roads and crumbling homes.
The gigantic Ismail Somoni Monument And the towering Independence Monument serve as dichotomies to the pitch black tunnel we were driven through a few days ago.Statue of the poet Rudaki
There are no Soviet era statues in Dushanbe like what we saw in Bishkek.
All statues scattered around the parks are of Tajik’s great minds and rulers.A few of the oddest things we saw around the city were recycling bins and man hole covers with Chinese characters on them. Almost seems as if China is putting her stamp all over this city.The glowing new parliament building that was built with the help of Chinese engineers.Everywhere you turn there are building cranes in the city. Makes me wonder how much of the Pamir Mountains will Tajikistan be left with when all said and done.At least the National Museum of Tajikistan was built during Soviet period – ironically, a welcoming sight.
From the photos it seems like the sky is clear, and there aren’t any cars. I’m assuming that’s not true for the rest of the city? And were you taking photos early in the morning for the air to be so clear?
Interesting that you noticed it. In fact, most of the cars on the road are electric cars imported from China (BYD brand). The area with all the monuments is a bit odd in that there are gleaming structures but no human vitality to match it.
FIRE'd @ 47 
From the photos it seems like the sky is clear, and there aren’t any cars. I’m assuming that’s not true for the rest of the city? And were you taking photos early in the morning for the air to be so clear?
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Interesting that you noticed it. In fact, most of the cars on the road are electric cars imported from China (BYD brand). The area with all the monuments is a bit odd in that there are gleaming structures but no human vitality to match it.
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Are other parts of the city more car-filled? (I take a lot of photos myself, so I notice things like the light).
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There were more cars in other parts of the city, but much less than what you’d see in Almaty, Bishkek, and Tashkent.
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