Hotan

Ancient Khotan at the foot of the Kunlun: jade hunting in the Yurungkash River, the old Tuancheng quarter and Hotan night market, atlas silk and a thousand-year-old "King of Walnut Trees".

Hotan is an oasis in southern Xinjiang between the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains and the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Known in ancient times as Khotan, it was a key town on the southern Silk Road and the starting point of the "Jade Road". This destination centers on Hotan city and includes the nearby parts of Hotan, Karakax and Lop counties. In the city are the old Tuancheng quarter, Hotan night market, Unity Square, the Grand Bazaar and the Hotan Museum. On the east side, the Yurungkash River is the source of Hotan jade pebbles, and you can try hunting for jade on its riverbed. Outside town are atlas silk workshops in Jiya Township, two ancient trees known as the King of Walnut Trees and the King of Fig Trees, the Yotkan ruins of the Khotan capital, mulberry-bark paper workshops in Karakax, and the Rawak Buddhist temple ruins in the desert.

The climate is dry with little rain. Spring (Mar–May) brings frequent dust storms; summer is hot but full of fruit; Sep–Oct, with crisp clear weather and fresh pomegranates and walnuts, is the best season. Xinjiang runs about 2 hours behind Beijing time in daily life, so sights and the night market follow local hours—dinner and the night market often start after 21:00 Beijing time. You can fly into Hotan Kunlun Airport or arrive by train (Hotan–Ruoqiang and Kashgar–Hotan railways). Taxis are easy in the city; for out-of-town sights a chartered car is recommended. Most visits take 2–3 days. Southern Xinjiang has many security checks, so keep your ID with you. Buy jade only from reputable dealers and ask for a certificate. Check official sources for admission fees and opening hours.

Top sights

• Hotan Tuancheng Old Quarter – A renovated Uyghur old quarter of earthen-yellow houses, handicraft workshops and snack stalls, making it Hotan's most popular place to wan…
• Hotan Night Market – One of southern Xinjiang's best-known night markets, with grilled pigeon, grilled baozi, pomegranate juice, grilled eggs and pigeon soup li…
• Yurungkash River (Jade Collecting) – The mother river of Hotan white jade, where jade diggers are often found on the riverbed beneath the city bridge. Visitors can try picking…
• Jiya Atlas Silk Village – A traditional production center of Atlas silk, where you can watch hand reeling, warp tying and dyeing, and wooden loom weaving, experienci…
• Walnut King Park – A walnut tree said to be over a thousand years old still bears fruit every year. Visitors can crawl through its hollow trunk, making it a c…
• Fig King Garden – A giant fig tree several hundred years old, with branches forming a green corridor of several hundred square meters. You can pick and eat t…
• Yotkan Ancient City Site – The site of the capital of the ancient Khotan kingdom, where large numbers of pottery figurines and coins have been unearthed. Today it has…
• Hotan Museum – Holds Khotan Buddhist sculptures, Kharosthi wooden slips, ancient mummies, and Hotan jade artifacts. It is the first stop for understanding…
• Unity Square (Hotan) – The central square of Hotan City, featuring the famous sculpture of Chairman Mao shaking hands with Kurban Tulum. Square dancing is often h…
• Hotan Grand Bazaar – A traditional market in the old city of Hotan, lined with stalls selling dried fruits, carpets, embroidered caps, musical instruments, and…
• Rawak Stupa – The ruins of a Khotan Buddhist temple in the desert, where the remaining base of a large stupa and its walls stand among the dunes with a d…
• Puqiakeqi Mulberry Paper Workshops – A village in Moyu County that has preserved the thousand-year-old craft of mulberry bark paper, where you can watch the full process of pee…
• Thousand-Li Grape Corridor – A green corridor formed by grape trellises above the rural roads of Hotan County. Driving or cycling through it in summer makes it a classi…

Where to eat

• Hotan Night Market – A covered night market on Renmin West Road with about 260 stalls, offering Hotan flavors such as baked buns, red willow…

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…