Khotan Prefecture

         Located in the southern part of Xinjiang and on the southern fringes of the Taklamakan desert, the Khotan Prefecture covers an area of 189 thousands kilometers, with a population of nearly 180 ten thousands. It has under its administration one city(Hetian) and 7 counties (Pishan, Moyu, Hetian, Lop, Qira, Yutian, and Minfeng). The Khotan Prefecture is the place where the kingdoms of Pishan, Yutian, Yumi, Qulei, Jingjue, and Ronglu were established in ancient times. From the Western Han Dynasty on, it had come officially under the jurisdiction of the Governor-general Government Administrating the Western Countries. In the 2nd year of Shangyuan period of the Tang Dynasty( 675 A .D), the Pisha Superintendent Office was established here. During the Yuan Dynasty, here was the fief of a Mongolian imperial prince. In the 24th year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Hetian Executive Ministers Office was set up here. In 1977, the Administrative Office of Khotan Prefecture was set up.

         Khotan Prefecture is dominated by a dry continental desert climate. It has abundant mineral resources. Khotan jade has been famous for its variety and high quality since ancient times. At present, Khotan Prefecture teems with corn, wheat and rice, and has numerous factories, mines and other enterprises, inclding electric power, coal-mining, silk, cottot textile, carpet-weaving, and cement plants, etc. Civil ariports here link Khotan with Urumqi and other cities and highway communications here is also convenient.

          Khotan has a lot of important ancient cultural sites, among them the sites of Yotkan, Niya, Dandan-oiliq, and Malikawat, the Rawak Stupa, and the ancient city of Kara-dong have renowned at home and abroad for a long time.

Dariya-boyi Village in Yutian County

        Also called Daheyan, situated at the delta of the Keriya River in the innermost Taklamakan Desert, 220 kilometers to the north of the Yutian County seat. Besides the mystic social life of the villagers living at the lower reach of the Keriya River, their production, life and religious belief, you can also get some idea of how attractive and supernatural are the natural sights of the desert and the oases in the desert.

King of Grape Trees

         In Ustang-uch Village, Hanguya Township, Lop County, there is a grape tree famous for its overgrowth, high production, and flavorous grapes. According to determination by the Forest Department of the state in 1982, it is already 132 years old. So it was so called the “King of Grape Trees”.

King of Walnut Trees

    In Yalawacu Village, Baghqi Township, Hetian County, there is a flourishing walnut tree over 20 meters high, which bears 5000-6000 walnuts every year. According to determination, it is about 570 years old and known as the “King of Walnut Trees”.

King of Fig Trees

     In the government courtyard of Laykah Township, Hetian County, there is a fig tree about 4 meters high and 150 years old. It bears 14000-15000 fruits every year and is called the “King of Fig Trees”.

Khotan Carpet Mill

     Carpet weaving in Khotan has already a history of more than 2000 years. Khotan carpet is a part of orient national handwork, various in types, beautiful in manners, elegant in patterns and bright in color. Among them the carpets with designs of Anagu Kaqiman, Ilikent, and etc., totaling 8 kinds, are in international traveling traders`good graces. The mill is located on the eastern bank of the Yurung-kash River, the output of high-class carpets reaches 3 ten thousands square meters a year, which sell well on markets in tens countries and areas in Europe, Asia, and America, enjoying reputation at home and abroad.

Khotan Jade

     Also called “the Jade of Kunshan”, mainly produced in areas along the Yurung-kash River and the Kara-kash River, including white jade, yellow jade, green jade, jasper, black jade, and mutton-fat jade. The mutton-fat jade is a top grade one in white jade, with a fine and smooth character and and a moist color and luster. Khotan jade has been sold far into the inland and Eurasia through the Jade Road since ancient times. Khotan is a main producing area of nephrite in the world. The output of high-grade mutton-fat jade alone can reach 200-300 kilograms a year. The “Jade Carving showing Dayu`s Preventing Floods by Water Control” collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing is carved with a block of Khotan white jade, which weighs 5350 kilograms. The national treasure “Sculpture of Boundless Busshish Paradise” is carved with a high-grade Khotan jade 472 kilograms in weight.

Khotan Museum

    Built at South Tanai Road, Khotan City in 1991, the museum has a floor space for exhibition of about 200 square meters. Besides wooden tablets, the main exhibition “Khotan Historical Relics Exhibition” displays potteries, wooden wares, textiles, sculptures and building components from ancient sites and tombs in Khotan area, totaling over 200 specimens. Among them the Kharosthi and Hotanese tablets, wool fabrics and various sculptures are of distinctive Khotan feature. They mirror the important position and role Khotan occupied and played on the southern Silk Road.

The Niya Site

   Sotuated beyond the end of the Niya River, 100 kilometers to the north of Minfeng County Seat, the Niya Site consists of remains of a Stupa, Buddhist shrines, farmlands, dwellings, orchards, ponds, paths, kilns, cemeteries, and a circumvallation, etc., totaling more than a hundred. The site extends about 30 kilometers long from south to north and about 5 kilometers wide from east to west. Here is the old place of “Jinjue”, one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Regions during the Han and Jin times, and is survival remains of “Cadoda” Prefecture of Shangshan. In 1995, a lot of seldom seen cultural relics were excavated from the site, including a silk brocade with Chinese sharacters “ 王候合昏千秋万岁宜子孙 ” ， a brocade with Chinese words “五星出东方利中国 ”, bronze mirrors with designs of dragon and tiger, and so on. Now the site is listed as a major cultural site under state protection.

              


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