Hetian Travel Guide

As one of the most important part of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, once Hetian (Khotan) was a Buddhist kingdom that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamagan Desert in the Tarim Basin. Until the 11th century, Islam has soaked into this area little by little and plays a dominating role here. Numerous ancient sites, the fables and history stories make records of its past glory and modern civilization. Now in many Chinese peoples eyes, Khotan is more likely a Chinese Homeric Epic that tells all its yesterday.

It has always been the main producing area of grain, cotton and silkworm in the south part of Tarim Basin. There are so many kinds of fruit like apricot, grape, peach; pomegranate, fig, and especially thin-shell walnut with cottages covered under the exuberant fruit trees that you may feel you've entered another world. A corridor with grape trees as ceiling. When the harvest season arrives, just imagine what a marvelous picture! Situated on an oasis with lush mulberry groves, the geographical advantage allowed the production and export of silk and silk rugs, in addition to the city's other products such as jade and pottery. There are the oldest Aidelai Silk workshops as well the modern silk companies in northwestern China. Based on traditional skills and combined with modern technology, Khotan carpet not only preserves the high quality but also satisfy the requirements of modern people.

Hetian is one of the first areas in China that people practiced Buddhism. The site found in southern Hetian is the evidence that Indian Buddhism was introduced here in the 1st Century BC. The religion has been flourished until the 11th Century, when the Muslim people from the Mongolian army come. Nowadays, Hetian is still a typical Islamic city in southern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, you can see mosques and Muslim architecture all over the town.

Since the ancient time, the jade in Hetian has been very famous throughout China. It is said that some furniture and many decorations in the imperial palace during the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1046 BC) are made of jade. In the Chu State period, jade accessories represented the nobility of the imperial family, and more and more civilians attracted by the elegant beauty of jade during the Han Dynasty. At that time, the marquises dispatched workers to the Kunlun Range in western China to mine raw jade material. The miners' labor and the enthusiasm in jade accessories by the noble caste have partly made the Silk Road flourish.

The Hetian jade is of top quality among the jades around the world, and the material is roughly divided into hard and soft. The former is more precious than the latter. The colors in raw jade are very beautiful, milky white, shiny cyan and maize yellow. The sculpture of The Story of Water Conservancy by Da Yu, who was a hero of the flood control project of the Yellow River in ancient China, is carved with a large piece of jade mined in the Kunlun Range. It is height over 2m and known as the "King of Jade", now it exhibits in the Palace Museum at Beijing.

In southern Xinjiang, almost every town and every traffic intersection have bazaars. When Bazaar Day arrives (once a week, usually on Fridays or Sundays) the locals pour in a nearby bazaar to buy and sell things. You can find fresh fruit, eggs, poultry and sheep and even specialties, icy water and yoghourt at these bazaars. Hucksters from these vendors, heehaw of donkeys, horns of cars, all are mixed together as a great bazaar symphony. Theres no better way to get so close to this place and its culture. Khotan is also one of the four areas of great longevity in the world. Its no uncommon event to meet some one aged over 100 in Khotan. 

Hetian People

The total population in Hetian is 1,200,000, about 96 per cent of which are ethnic Uyghur, the other 4 per cent are mainly Han Chinese and some minority folks.

Hetian Transportation

The Hetian airport is located 12km to the south of the city's center, flight services between Urumqi and Hetian are available weekly. The No. 315 National Highway passes through Hetian, so road traffic is very convenience here. The long distance bus travels from Minfeng to Korla will pass and stop at Hetian. The most tourist attractions are situated in the desert, where the road conditions there are bad. The best way to visit city's sightseeing spots is to hire a good quality jeep.

Hetian Geography

It is located about 1500km to the south of Urumqi, sandwiched between the Taklamakan Desert in the north and the Kunlun Range in the south. The total area of Hetian is 240,000 sq. km, of which the oasis zone occupies 9730 sq. km. The vast area of arable land has made agricultural development possible.

Hetian Climate

Hetian set just south of the world's second largest desert, the Taklamakan, thus dry, big temperature difference and strong winds are the main climatic characteristics in the area. Small amount of annual rainfall with frequent sandstorms in the area have slowed down Hetian's economic development historically, so the built-up area is moved down southwards about 150km. Generally, the best time to visit Hetian is March and April, the vivid peach blossoms and the beautiful apricots flourish gloriously under the bright, warm spring sunlight.