Central Asia series | Kyrgyzstan: the most democratic – Switzerland of Central Asia

18-05-2026 06:02 HKT

Horse meat, camel milk and dombra music – a traditional Kazakh meal. (XINHUA)

Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest of the five Stans, but the freest.

Its economy runs on re-exports. Chinese and Turkish goods flood into the Dordoy Bazaar and get trucked to Kazakhstan and Russia. The Kumtor gold mine produces nearly 10 percent of the country’s GDP. After years of legal disputes, Kyrgyzstan took full ownership in 2022.

In 2005 and 2010, Kyrgyzstan overthrew two presidents, earning the nickname “Central Asia’s island of democracy.”

But before the revolutions, there was Manas. The Epic of Manas – 20 times longer than Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey combined – tells of Manas the Noble, who united 40 tribes against invaders. Illiterate nomads memorized every line. Today, a statue of Manas stands in every town square.

With its mountain landscapes, Kyrgyzstan is called the “Switzerland of Central Asia.” Issyk-Kul Lake, the world’s second-largest alpine lake, is ringed by Soviet sanatoriums and yurt camps. The yurt is the cultural heart. Eagle hunters still ride horses.

Nearly a million Kyrgyz work in Russia; their remittances keep families fed.

For Hong Kong travelers: visa-free, affordable, breathtaking. For investors: chaotic enough to offer entry, transparent enough to avoid endless bribery.