Hotan Prefecture

An oasis on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, famed for Hotan jade, Atlas silk and strong Uyghur character.

Hotan Prefecture lies in southern Xinjiang, with the Taklamakan Desert to the north and the Kunlun Mountains to the south, on the site of ancient Khotan, an important town on the southern route of the Silk Road. Hotan jade is world famous, and the Yurungkash River is a traditional source of jade. Handicrafts such as Atlas silk and mulberry-bark paper, along with the Tuancheng old quarter and the Hotan night market, are full of local life, and in places such as Minfeng there are ancient sites like Niya. Spring often brings dust, and autumn is better for travel. The gateway is Hotan Airport, and you can also arrive by rail via the Around-Tarim Railway.

Destinations

• Hotan

Itineraries

• South Xinjiang, Pamir & Desert Highway Grand Loop – Ascend the Pamirs from Kashgar, travel through Yarkand and Hotan, cross the Desert Highway, and return to Urumqi via Ku…