the South Path of the Silk Road, Xinjiang Uygur, China
4.0 (8 reviews) Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent Ranking #2 in Hotan Bodies of Water
Amazing things no one is seeing
As I went around seeing the sites in Hotan and Kuche, I couldn't believe that no other foreigners were there. Hotan is where Buddhism first arrived in China, it is where Jade is still found in the river, there are ruins all over the place, plus it is one of the only places you can go camel riding for more than 30 minutes at a time. It is a natural environment. There are things out there that haven't been discovered yet. The museums are great, and they are still practicing some of the crafts that made the silk road great. It is well worth seeing. I did a day tour with Kurban, who runs southernsilkroadtours and he was excellent. He can also do camel trekking and tours of other areas. He is a great find.
Address
Northside of Takelamagan, Northern Foothills of Kunlun Mountain, Hotan 848000 China
Working hours
Monday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Current local date and time now
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 1:47
User Ratings
4.0 based on (8 reviews)
Reviews
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5nathan l 5:00 PM Dec 20, 2018
not easy but worthwhile exploring the ancient traditions and folklore
this path is less visited by foreigners, it is not easy, not every place you are allowed to visit, because of authorities restrictions, but this is the true silk road path where Marco Polo passed, donwt miss
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4hidihidiho 5:00 PM Apr 22, 2014
Southern Silk Road Development zone
Having travelled the Southern Silk Route for several years the changes are amazing. A mere matter of twelve years ago the eastern part had no roads connecting the oases and it really was an adventure. These days with a road connecting every oasis you can get round the entire Taklamakan Desert in no more than a week. Whereas it used to be a very cheap option and you could stay pretty much anywhere, these days government requirements mean that foreigners are watched like hawks and have to stay in three star places with minimum prices of around £10 a night. It's certainly not an off-beat destination any more and surrounded by plastic furniture, chandeliers, flat screen TV's, and hot and cold running water, you could pretty much be anywhere in the world....apart from of course the raining dust, hot fresh flat bread every morning and the amazing bustling bazaars. These days you have to pick your places and what you want to do if you want to really get inside the heart of the Uyghur people and their lives. There are a few tourist sites worth visiting where they don't rip you off. Steer away from the centuries old walnut tree in Hotan where you have to pay to walk around a beautiful tree which is fenced off. Steer away from Buddhist caves which cost an arm and a leg to visit...but make a bee-line for village markets, main mosques on Fridays around noon time, and village lanes where you can wander at will and maybe even get an invitation in for tea. The renovation of Kashgar is a pleasant surprise and it's certainly worth a visit despite the rumours that it' s all been rebuilt. It has of course, but wonderfully tastefully and in keeping with the age old Uyghur styles. It's also worth remembering that after a few months nothing really looks new here any more and within a year the place will look as dishevelled and chaotic...in the nicest possible way! As it always has. Definitely a trip to do. There' she added bonus now of being able to take a bus directly from Ruoqiang (Uyghur-Charkalik) to Golmud. There is a direct bus which takes twelve hours every afternoon around four O'clock local time ( two hours behind Beijing time)
