Hotan: The Pearl of the Western Regions and the Encounter with Millennia-old Jade

Strolling through the streets of Hotan feels like stepping into the tales of "One Thousand and One Nights." This oasis city, nestled on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, has long been one of the brightest jewels on the Silk Road. When Zhang Qian opened the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty, he recorded the flourishing scene here of "abundant jade and skilled singing and dancing." Today, Hotan still retains a strong Uyghur atmosphere, with girls wearing Atlas silk headscarves whose eyes and brows still carry the charm of the ancient Kingdom of Khotan. 🏰 Yutian Ancient City: A Time Capsule in the Desert Address: Hotan County X629 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-19:00 (Night sessions until 24:00) Entering Yutian Ancient City at sunset, the yellow sand and rammed earth walls form a natural oil painting. This ancient Western Regions city, founded during the Wei and Jin periods, was once an important post station of the ancient Kingdom of Khotan. Walking among the ruins, you can still make out the outlines of Buddhist temples and government offices, and pottery shards in the corners might hide stories of some caravan. The nighttime light show transforms the ancient city into the Jingjue Ancient City from "Ghost Blows Out the Light," with shadows cast on the poplar wood beams recreating the lively scene of camel bells jingling in the past. 🌇 Tuan City Scenic Area: A Living Folk Museum Address: Gujiang North Road, Hotan City Opening Hours: Daily 10:00-21:00 If Yutian is frozen history, Tuan City is a vivid folk painting. In this renovated old town, behind every painted wooden door may hide artisans with skills passed down through three generations. At the alley entrance, I met Grandpa Abdulla, who makes copper kettles; the rhythm of his hammering blended unexpectedly harmoniously with the sound of the rawap lute from the nearby teahouse. The evening night market is especially enchanting, with the aroma of roasted buns mixed with the sweetness of rose jam. The jade sellers, called Balangzi, will tell you in stiff Mandarin, "This is mutton fat jade, as white as your skin, young lady." 🏛️ Hotan Museum: The Codebook of Western Region Civilization Address: No. 1 Kunlun Road, Hotan City Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-20:30 (until 20:00 in winter) The three-story exhibition hall is like a three-dimensional epic, from Neolithic painted pottery to the Han Dynasty "Five Stars Rising in the East to Benefit China" embroidered arm guards. The most stunning is the Hotan jade special exhibition on the second floor. Jade tablets from the Shang and Zhou periods and flying jade pendants from the Tang Dynasty glow warmly under the spotlights. The guide Guli smiles and says, "When Hotan girls get married, they all wear jade bracelets. It’s not superstition; it’s the belief that jade can be as pure as the soul." As dusk falls on the Yulong Kashgar River, jade pickers still persistently bend over the shallows. The charm of this city lies in how it transforms millennia of vicissitudes into poetry in everyday life—just like the mulberry bark paper paintings hanging on the teahouse walls, rough yet lively. Sitting in the night market now, biting into a juicy roasted pigeon, I finally understand why Xuanzang stayed here for months back then. The beauty of the Western Regions has always required a patient and heartfelt savoring.