Kumal Grottoes

　　In 1979, the Hotan Prefecture Cultural Relics Protection Office investigated and designated the Kumal Grottoes as a county-level cultural heritage site. The People's Government of Hotan County officially issued a notice in 1999 confirming this designation. The Kumal Grottoes are located in Budui Village, Layi’ka Township, Hotan County, about 30 kilometers from Hotan City, on the cliffs along the northern bank of the third mouth of the Karakash River. Atop the cliff are three tombs and a newly built mosque. The site is specifically located in Budui Village, Layi’ka Township. Legend has it that a great tomb contains the remains of a practitioner named Hujī Muhetin. Originally from Yemen, he made a living hunting in the area in ancient times but was converted by a serpent deity. He secluded himself in a cave midway up the cliff to practice asceticism for decades and eventually passed away there, being buried on the mountaintop. The site is worshipped by locals. The other two tombs are smaller—the larger one holds a snake that died 45 years ago, and the smaller one contains a snake that died four years ago. These serpent deities are believed to possess great spiritual power and are said to occasionally manifest miraculous signs. The grottoes are circular in shape and divided into upper and lower levels, connected by a newly built wooden ladder. Signs of manual excavation are visible. The interiors have been blackened by smoke, and freshly written Uyghur script can be seen on the stones. The site has long been a place of pilgrimage.