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County-level city in Xinjiang, China
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 es
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Almost as large as the Sunday Market in Kashgar, but more chaotic and free-spirited. Open every day, busiest in the early afternoon (XJ time), and on Sundays. Not to be confused with the "International Bazaar" which is a tall landmark building near the bus station and more like a mall than a market.
Free entry to see people carving Jade with modern tools and intricate Jade pieces for sale. No tours, but you can look and ask questions if you speak Mandarin.
Free entry to look around, all items have tags in Chinese, Uyghur and English. Tours available in English for ¥10. Museum has one floor of artifacts including two 2500-year-old mummies. Closed for lunch so arrive early enough to orient yourself vis-à-vis local architectural sites.
玛利克瓦特
Fascinating and eerie. Pay your entrance fee to unlock the gate to the site, where you'll also get a sell on electric carts to take you around the site for an added charge (unlike fees to unlock the gate, you can bargain on the cart costs). Be ready for dust. The carts aren't strictly necessary and won't go all the way to some of the interesting buildings but are likely to make the friendly folks at the gate even happier to see you.
热瓦克佛寺
Better preserved than most buildings at Melikawat but smaller and northeast of town, east of the cross-desert highway. A visitor center is under construction, but until it is completed then ¥20 ticket fees are paid on entry to the stone path leading to the boardwalk around the stupa. In mid-2017, the direct road was under construction but the site was accessible via the cross-desert highway, demarcated by a large sign to direct drivers who may not be familiar with the route.
It is free to walk up to the "platform," a scenic vista point situated on top of a large dune, and down to the restrooms. Camel rides are also available on request, for a fee. Can combine with a trip to Rawaq, which is accessible by turning off the highway north of the desert viewing platform.
There is communal dancing by both the Uyghur and Han communities and a great Uyghur night market on one of the corners.
An industry over 2000 years old in Khotan, carpets woven by hand in a small workshop, tours and sales of carpets available. Seems to be free, without many services for visitors, especially in the off season.
Locals search the riverbed for rare white jade but beauty lies in all the other stones left behind.
Free tours, only in Chinese, of the local silk workshop, where Atlas Silk is made entirely by hand. Even if you don't speak Chinese it's an interesting place to wander around. Opens at 09:00 Xinjiang time, 11:00 Beijing time, though that may also vary by season.
Imam Asim Ancient Tomb is in Jiya Township of Lop County. It is about 23 km from Khotan city. The tomb is 1 km inside of the desert where the farmland and desert merge. Best time to visit the Imam Asim tomb is during April and May on Thursday. Local people come from different parts of Khotan and Xinjiang to observe local wrestling and story-telling with music. This is not really a tourist destination, but a site of religious worship. Women should bring head scarves.
Tours of the local Shatuo Silk Factory can be made, a larger and more mechanized factory.
Produces specialty pomegranate and rice wines.
Camel ride into the Taklamakan Desert with overnight camping. You can enjoy a camp fire dinner and breakfast in the desert. Necessary camping equipment, tents, sleeping bags and blankets, etc. can be provided by.Guide on Line
Run by a Malaysian woman and her family, has awesome local travel information and affordable western and Malay food options, coffee and desserts. SE of the Public Square (Tuanjie Guangchang).
Jiaotong Binguan
Takes foreigners. Reluctant to place foreigners in cheaper rooms. The staff can be as rude as someone can be.
Next to the main bus station, musty rooms have small toilets and hot water. No toiletries, no kettle and one towel per room. This kind of room is usually in the ¥40-60 range in other parts of China.
By train
There are daily trains from Kashgar and Ürümqi.
By bus
The Long-Distance Bus Station is north of the city center on the main highway.
By car
There is a road west to Kashgar, about 500 km, or east via Dunhuang and on toward Central China (very distant).
" monument roundabout. CN¥1. Buses have a late-night surcharge but otherwise cost CN¥1.
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Hotan · Regional · HTN
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