Hotan Airport

机About this airport

Hotan Airport serves Hotan, one of the most historically significant oasis cities on the ancient Southern Silk Road, situated at the northern edge of the Kunlun Mountains at the point where the rivers from the mountains disappear into the Taklamakan Desert sands. Hotan has been renowned for two commodities since antiquity: jade (nephrite jade from the Yurungkash and Karakash rivers, which carry jade boulders down from the Kunlun ranges) and silk (the city developed silk weaving technologies, particularly Ikat-dyed silk — known in Uyghur as atlas — that produce richly coloured geometric patterns). Both remain part of the local economy: jade markets and silk weaving workshops are active in the city today.

Ground transport from HTN to Hotan city centre takes approximately 15 minutes by taxi (CNY 20–40). [VERIFY: current fares — May 2026]. The city is compact and navigable by taxi. The airport handles primarily domestic routes from Urumqi (approximately 1.5 hours by air), with some connections to other Xinjiang cities. [VERIFY: current routes and frequencies — May 2026]. The land alternative — crossing the desert on the Southern Xinjiang highway from Urumqi — takes 12–14 hours and is an experience in itself, passing through the southern edge of the Taklamakan.

Hotan's Sunday bazaar is one of the most authentic and largest open-air markets in Xinjiang, drawing Uyghur farmers and traders from the surrounding oasis villages with livestock, fresh produce, spices, carpets, silk, and jade stones. The scale and authenticity of the market, which retains a character largely unmodified for tourist consumption, is the main reason visitors make the journey to Hotan. The jade section of the market is particularly distinctive: rough stones are sold by weight, and the river jade stalls display the full gradation from opaque white nephrite to the prized mutton-fat jade.

The Melikawat archaeological site, approximately 25 km south of the city, preserves the ruins of a Han-dynasty oasis trading post. The Hotan Museum holds jade artefacts, Silk Road relics, and finds from the ancient Niya site — a buried Han-era outpost that yielded textiles, wooden documents in Kharosthi script, and silk garments when excavated.

As throughout Xinjiang, carry all documentation readily accessible, cooperate with registration requirements at accommodation (hotels process foreign guest registration), and be prepared for checkpoint procedures at transport facilities and on roads. No Priority Pass lounge at HTN. Food options are minimal — basic Uyghur-style snacks and café fare in the terminal. Wi-Fi is available with standard registration; Chinese internet restrictions apply.

The best season for Hotan is spring (April–May) before the intense summer heat, and autumn (September–October) after the harvest season. Summer temperatures in Hotan regularly exceed 38°C and the surrounding desert amplifies the heat significantly. The Yurungkash River, which runs through the city, is at its fullest in late spring when snowmelt from the Kunlun Mountains is highest — jade hunters working the riverbanks are most active then. The jade trade peaks in April and May at the Sunday bazaar. The Silk Road heritage of the region extends to the Niya site ruins (approximately 200 km east), accessible only by 4WD across the desert with advance arrangements.