Yotkan Ancient City

Yotkan Ancient Town is located in Baqiqi Town, Hotan County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is a characteristic town integrating the functions of culture, tourism, commerce and leisure. Resembling a huge white castle, it features traditional dwellings with white as the main color, matched with colored paintings on corridors and eaves, brick carvings, wood carvings and window lattice decorations, all of which give it unique characteristics.

Highlights of Yotkan Ancient City

Xuanzang Square

Statue of Xuanzang

Xuanzang Square serves as a pivotal area within the ancient town. Positioned prominently around the square are several remarkable edifices. Right in the front stands a statue of the eminent Buddhist monk, Xuanzang. This statue commemorates the renowned Tang - Dynasty translator and traveler Xuanzang's connection with Yutian.

Furthermore, the first two acts of the night performance, "Melodies from All Directions in Khotan", namely "Phoenix's Cry Opens the City" and "Welcome Dance", take place here.

Sumi Ancient Castle

Sumi Ancient Castle

Sumi Ancient Castle is the core architectural complex of the ancient town, consisting of a castle, a garden, an ancient-style building and a tower. The castle covers an area of 6,885.61 square meters. The overall design of the building and its interior was carefully completed through in-depth exploration, extraction and activation of culture, and thus it was named "Sumi Ancient Castle".

Spider Cave

The Spider Cave is located above the Kunlun Yuxi Bridge on the south side of Sumi Ancient Castle, serving as a quiet passage leading to Taobao Street. A stream flows beneath the cave. Cool wind constantly blows inside the cave, making it extremely cool in summer. The cave itself consists of numerous architecturally shaped caverns, with vivid and magical forms.

Workshop Street

Workshop Street houses displays of intangible cultural heritage protection projects native to Hotan, such as carpet weaving, Adras silk craftsmanship, Hotan medicinal tea making, wood bowl carving, and bronze ware crafting. Interestingly, all shops on Workshop Street adopt the form of a front yard with a back store. Visitors can witness the production process of craftsmen and artisans in the front yard, and can also have a simple try if they are interested.

Educational Value

The town features white as its main color, with an overall layout of a square city and red walls. Its architectural style is mostly based on the "Ayiwang" residential form in Xinjiang, showcasing the architectural characteristics of ancient Khotan. The "Ayiwang" has a history of 300 to 400 years, with its rudimentary form emerging from the late Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. By visiting the buildings in the town, one can intuitively feel the characteristics of this unique residential form, understand its spatial layout and structural composition, and learn about the evolution and inheritance of ancient Western Regions' architectural styles.

Activities to do at Yotkan Ancient City

Experience Adras silk tie-dyeing: Learn the steps of tying and dyeing Adras silk in a special workshop, and make a piece of silk cloth with personal marks by hand.

Try carpet weaving: Learn simple carpet weaving techniques under the guidance of craftsmen and feel the delicacy of traditional wool spinning craftsmanship.