✨ Discovering Hotan Beyond the Sunday Market ✨

We stayed at Yudu Hotel 🏨 — a bit old, but perfectly located! Hotan is famous for its Sunday Market 🛍️ (check out our detailed post 😉), but there’s sooo much more to do! 🚖 Tip: Hire a taxi for the whole day — cheaper than separate rides. We paid 200 CNY for everything. --- 📅 Day 1 1️⃣ Tomb of Imam Asim 🕌 An important historic & cultural site… sadly, just meters away, we were stopped with strange excuses 😔 and had to turn back. Such a pity this place is now restricted. 2️⃣ Atlas Silk Factory 🥢🪡 See the fascinating silk-making process! Don’t go before 11:00 AM — that’s when the action starts. There’s also a shop if you want to bring home some silk treasures. 3️⃣ Hetian Carpet Factory 🧵 These carpets are famous worldwide 🌍. Watching the women hand-weave each piece was mind-blowing 😍. There’s a showroom too. 4️⃣ Yurungqash River ⛲ Famous for its jade 💎 — a peaceful spot to end the route. 🍢 Lunch: Right next to our hotel — delicious skewers with bread, only 5 CNY each. 💃 Evening: At 10 PM, Uyghur locals dance in the hotel square — pure magic ✨. --- 📅 Day 2 1️⃣ Hotan Museum 🏛️ Opens at 10 AM (closed Monday) — well-presented history & culture of the region. 2️⃣ Jade Museum 💎 Open 11 AM–7 PM (closed Monday), right by the river. Outside, there’s a small jade & stone market — good prices, but make sure it’s genuine jade! 🍽️ Lunch at “Snow Island” (雪域岛) Located near the mosque & scenic area. Try their juicy kebabs 🍢 and don’t miss the cold yogurt dessert 🥶🍦 — perfect for Hotan’s warm afternoons. --- 💖 Hotan is not just a market — it’s history, culture, and craftsmanship coming alive!