Hotan
Hotan, also known as Hetian (Chinese:和田) located in the southwest of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China, once known as the State of Yutian, is an important stop on the Silk Road. It is dominated by a dry continental desert climate; hot in summer and not too cold in winter; great temperature disparity between day and night with little rainfall and a high evaporation rate.
The local highlights are: Hotan jade, Hotan sheep, Hotan silk, Hotan carpet. Xinjiang food has much more of a Central Asian flavor to it than a Chinese taste. Hotan is one of the best cities in the region to sample authentic Xinjiang cuisine and there are literally thousands of tiny Uygur restaurants dotted about the place serving up local specialties. However, it has been most famous for its exquisite, high quality of Hotan jade products. In history, the king of the State of Yutian always sent jade presents to the rulers in the inland as tribute. The major deposits of Hotan jade are tucked away deep in the lofty Kunlun Mountains.
