Hotan County

Almost all the residents of the county are Uyghurs and live around oases situated between the desolate Taklamakan Desert and Kunlun Mountains.

Hotan County administers most of Aksai Chin,[3] an area disputed between China and India.

The area of Hotan is originally known as and has been historically referred to as Godana (Godaniya), a Sanskrit name meaning "Land of the cows".

[3][13] On September 9, 1995, Vice Premier Zhu Rongji visited Buzhake Township.

[2] On July 28, 2013, an incident involving Muslim protesters and local police in Hanerik (Han'airike/Hanairke) occurred.

The Hotan County-administered part of Aksai Chin includes Tianwendian,[18] site of a Chinese military post.

The county's agricultural products include wheat, rice, corn, melons, cotton, and silkworm cocoons.

Map including northern Hotan County and surrounding region ( USATC , 1971) [ d ]
Map including Hotan County area and surrounding region ( DMA , 1980) [ e ]