Silk, Jade, and Lamb: A Journey Through Hotan and Xinjiang

Welcome to My Movie platform with Lion on the Road - Discover Xinjiang | Hotan Travel Guide

Traveling in Xinjiang may not be the easiest thing lately but in case you make it, you must check out the highlights pointed out in this travel movie. You can start with the "walnut museum" which is situated at the end of the "thousand miles grapes gallery". The longest grape gallery in the world is almost 3km in length.

It is located in the west, on 629 National Road at the exit of Hotan city towards "BageQi" district (the old Hotan area) and it is a blast for those who love photography, walnuts, and grapes of course.

After that, we went to check the richest stone market in the world (well it's the Nephrite jade market)

Historically, Hotan is the main source of nephrite jade used in ancient China. The light-coloured jade is called "Mutton fat jade" and people from all over China come here...

Nowadays only few kilos of good quality jade are found yearly. Some is still mined in the south, in Kunlun Mountains but it is generally of poorer quality than the one found in the rivers.

Then we asked why those stones are so precious?

To see how much a stone, sorry a Nephrite Jade, could cost, check the end of our movie and you will be amazed or just shocked. Meanwhile take a brake and we introduce you to some of the most delicious local street food you must try when you come to Hotan.

The underground "whole roasted lamb" & "roasted chicken" a newer versions, it's famous especially for the unique process of pit cooking. The lambs are usually less than a year old, and their meat is covered evenly in a blend of special paste, with fine flour, slated water, eggs, curcuma, pepper, and cumin powder. The meat is then skewered on a special stick, and lowered inside a pit, covered by wood then dirt and left there to roast up for 1-2 hours. When ready the mutton tastes fresh without any sheep odor.

This dish getting its fame throughout the country & even the whole world because of its crisp skin, tender meat and the mouth-watering flavour.

Chicken or Lamb? Which one would you like to try? Or which one you think taste better? Leave your comments bellow

So we decide to go to the best restaurant in the city and try this speciality. Also we tried to get some vegetarian dishes for Amita... do they have "Vegetarian" here?

Visit the night market where hundred of food stands can satisfy world wide tastes but most special dish you MUST try it is: The "roasted goose eggs", nicknamed roasted triple goose yolk. They are an original creation in Hotan, and a sellout here at the night market. Throughout the coin-sized hole the white is drained out, leaving the yolk in the shell, then add two more yolks with honey and saffron. Finally gently place the eggshell on the burning coals for 20 to 30 minutes & done. The timing and temperature are key of this dish.

They are 2 night markets - The new one inside a local mall and the classic street one. Both are covered and entertain with free shows every night starting since 7pm. The new one has better shows but the vibe it is worst. The classic market much better in terms of food and energy.

Carpets- Silk Road & Hotan History

Hotan it is since ancient times a major silk production point and has been employing more than a thousand workers, producing 150 million meters of silk annually some of it only in the traditional way. From it developed the Hotanese pile carpets which are still highly prized (from a few hundred dollars for a 1x1.5m carpet to a few thousand dollars for bigger and personalized models which are mostly ordered for export.

The manager says sometimes it takes up to 3 months to finish 1 model of carpet.

We went to experience the biggest factory in the area and even gave it a go to see if it is as easy to make a carpet as it looks like...

The workers have a flexible program and they can take rest whenever they want and come to the factory whenever they have time, since the payment is just/a project not monthly. Experienced complete so we go back to the "jade market" to find out how much cost the most expensive jade and what looks like...

The most expensive jade cost around 100 thousand dollars and it looks like the details we have been shooting in the linked video. So we reach the end of our journey in China and also in this program of discovering China.

Would even anyone know how many thousands of hours sacrifice behind those "shitty videos" you see online on our channels? Which one of you has at least a minimal idea? Only you my friends... and everything just to inspire you that travels & life are not as pink and beautiful as it looks in "Insta stories" or "Facebook posts" etc... my life and our movies are real shit which doesn't need praise and millions of subscribers, because I have YOU already, and because by the time will get to much praise.... it will be too late... and those who been with me from the beginning will always stay in my heart because they know me... as ME. Thank you to all our friends and followers so far in this journey, LOVE YOU ALL!"