Poska Shell Mountain in Sangzhu Township is located 47 kilometers from National Highway 315, 95 kilometers from the county seat, 17 kilometers from Sangzhu Township, and 42 kilometers from Kangkeer Kirgiz Ethnic Township. It boasts a wide variety of fossils, making it a treasure trove for exploration and archaeology. At the foot of the mountain lies Poska Reservoir, where water and mountain blend harmoniously. There are three administrative villages here, forming a unique oasis in the mountains with a distinctive agritainment environment, perfect for summer retreats and leisure.
Guide The ruins of the Rawak Buddhist Temple are located in the Kulakansiman Desert, 40 kilometers from Yulongkashi Town, Luopu County, Hotan. The surrounding area is an endless expanse of sand dunes with few signs of human presence. "Rawak" means pavilions and towers in Uyghur. It earned its name because a earthen stupa stands prominently in the temple complex. It is also transliterated as Luowake, Yaowake, or Lawake. Introduction The Rawak...
In 1878, the fourth year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign, Zuo Zongtang endured great hardship to recover the entire Xinjiang region. To strengthen and consolidate defenses within Xinjiang, Zuo Zongtang established an extensive military defense line in southern Xinjiang. This winding defensive line stretched from Turpan, through Korla, Aksu, and Kashgar, finally reaching the southernmost part of Xinjiang—Hetian...
Introduction The Yujiman Mausoleum is located in the Aqike Administrative District of Hotan, Xinjiang, approximately 70 kilometers from the county seat. The mausoleum sits halfway up a mountain slope, guarding the mountain pass between Luopu and Qira counties. Below it lies a picturesque scene of small bridges over flowing streams, with quaint houses nestled among ancient trees, lush mulberry and willow trees, pebble-filled streams, and murmuring waters. In this secluded valley village stands a mosque. …
Introduction The Baghdad Mausoleum is located in Serek Village, Doru Township, Luopu County, Hotan, approximately 3.5 kilometers from the county town. It is said that the mausoleum houses the tomb of Baghdad, hence the name Baghdad Mausoleum. The site consists of a prayer hall and a graveyard, the latter enclosed by woods and named “Maisu.” The constructed prayer hall complex…
Guide The ancient city is located on the edge of the desert, 17 kilometers west of Luopu County in Hotan, and 3 kilometers east of the Zuolawu Oasis in Hanggui Township. "Akspiri," meaning "White Castle" or "White Wall" in Uyghur, is the name given to the city after it was abandoned. Introduction Most of the ancient city is buried under drifting sand. Currently, only a section of the northern wall remains...
The Sampula Ancient Tombs are located on a Gobi plateau 14 kilometers southwest of Luopu County in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The tombs date back to the period between the Warring States and the Three Kingdoms, approximately 217 to 283 BCE. The burial site is divided into eastern and western sections, spread across an area of 6 square kilometers — 6 kilometers from east to west and 1 kilometer from north to south. The tomb complex…
The Ancient Iron Smelting Site of Aqike The Ancient Iron Smelting Site of Aqike was discovered in 1958. It is located in the Aqike Mountain Gorge, more than 30 kilometers south of Luopu County. At the foot of a hillside, there are many ancient sintered materials and broken pottery tuyeres. In a long-sealed small cave nearby, a pile of stone chisels and stone hammers was also found. The surfaces of the stone chisels and…
Buya Mazha Buya Mazha is located 500 meters northeast of the Buya Township government seat. The cemetery covers an area of 80 mu, and currently consists of one prayer hall, one courtyard gate, two tomb chambers, and two scripture halls. There are two legends about Buya Mazha: 1. It got its name because the area was overgrown with bitter vetch (known as "buya" in Uyghur). 2. Legend has it that 900 years ago...
Also known as Aksibil, meaning "White City." Located 40 kilometers northwest of Luopu County, it is said to be the ruins of the ancient Kingdom of Khotan from the Tang to Song dynasties (7th–10th centuries). Most of the ruins remain buried under shifting sand dunes, with only a section of over 100 meters long and more than 3 meters high of ruined wall exposed above the sand. Various coins have been discovered here, including those from the Wuzhu, Kaiyuan, Qianyuan eras, as well as different types from the Song dynasty, and holeless copper coins minted during the Kara-Khanid Khanate period. Other artifacts related to Buddhist art include pottery figurines, bronze statues, and small bone-carved lions. Pottery and porcelain shards from various dynasties, along with small copper and iron items, are also frequently found.
Located about 3 kilometers northeast of Luopu County, this is a site from the Ming Dynasty (around the 15th century). It is said to be the burial ground of those who died in battle while spreading Islam and fighting against the Buddhist residents of Hotan at the time. …
The King Grapevine is located in Stanyuqi Village, Hanggui Township, Luopu County. Here, grape trellises cover both inside and outside the courtyards, as well as both sides of the roads. Driving beneath these vine-covered arches feels like journeying through a dense jungle. The King Grapevine itself stands in a small rural courtyard. Its roots extend from an old residence over ten meters away, and it has survived more than 60 winters without needing to be buried. Today, it remains lush and fruitful, yielding one to two thousand kilograms of grapes each year, with some individual bunches weighing up to one kilogram. This remarkable tree gives the courtyard a distinctive flavor of a traditional Western Region village.
Jiangkante is located in Hanggui Township, 45 kilometers due north of Lop County. "Jiangkante" is a Uyghur term meaning "a place that can be fatal." It features typical desert scenery, including vast deserts, dense populus euphratica forests, endless reed marshes, flocks of water birds living among the reeds, and animals such as goitered gazelles and snowcocks...
Halakali Reservoir Halakali Reservoir is located south of Luopu County, about 2.5 kilometers from the county town. It has a water storage capacity of 23 million cubic meters, with a maximum water surface area of 12,000 mu and a minimum of over 1,000 mu. The site is suitable for developing 19 fish ponds, each covering 1.5 mu, ideal for breeding softshell turtles, eels, loaches,…
Yulong Bay Scenic Area (Bukumu Reservoir), located in Duolu Township, Luopu County, is 12 kilometers from the county seat and 7 kilometers from National Highway 315. It is a key comprehensive tourism, leisure, and sightseeing destination promoted by the Hotan region. The Yulong Bay area is classified as a natural lake-type hydrological landscape. In summer during the high-water season, the water is abundant, and the scenery...
King of Red Willow A 150-year-old ancient red willow tree in the yard of Tuoheti Ahamu Baiyiti, a farmer from Baxizhiya Village, Buya Township, Luopu County, stands 12.8 meters tall with a diameter at breast height of 0.4 meters. According to Tuoheti Ahamu, this red willow was already growing before his father was born. His father passed away at the age of 95, and Tuoheti was [age unspecified] when his father died. …
The King of Poplar Trees is located in Nizar Village, Shanpulu Township, Luopu County. This 210-year-old poplar tree stands over 30 meters tall, with a breast height diameter of 2.4 meters and a circumference of 7.5 meters—so large that it takes five adults holding hands to encircle it. Its canopy covers an area of 0.7 acres. To this day, it remains lush and vibrant, demonstrating remarkable vitality. …
The Grape King The "Grape King" is located in the courtyard of the home of Ahatmat Akhunqia Xapu in Wustanwuqi Village, Hanggui Township. As it emerges from the ground, the Grape King splits into three main trunks, each of which further branches into three to four smaller ones. This ancient grapevine is over 150 years old and yields 1,000–1,500 kilograms of fresh "Ma0" grapes every year. The owner of the tree has…
Guide: The ruins are located 25 kilometers northeast of Cele County in Hotan. Centered around Old Damaigu, there are many other ruins in the surrounding area. About four to five kilometers northwest of the site lies the Wuluzati Mausoleum, about one kilometer southwest is the Liujiate Mausoleum, four to five kilometers northeast is the Sufuqi Mausoleum, and four to five kilometers southeast is the Qiaopan’ate Mausoleum...
Guide Muztagh Mountain is located at the border between Cele County and Hotan County within Hotan Prefecture, approximately 65 kilometers north of Cele County. With an elevation of 7,284 meters, it forms part of the majestic central section of the Kunlun Mountains along with the towering Tuanjie Peak (6,644 meters) and seven other peaks over 6,000 meters high. Introduction The Muztagh Mountain peak area is...