The name Yumi was used by the Chinese envoy Zhang Qian in his 125 BCE report on his embassy's travels.

Yutian County (于阗县) was formed in 1882, its administrative center was Karakash, and Keriya was only a post station.

Aurel Stein travelled along the Keriya River in his early 20th century expeditions in the region.

[14] In 2018, the Financial Times reported that the Yutian county vocational training centre, among the largest of the Xinjiang internment camps, had opened a forced labour facility including eight factories spanning shoemaking, mobile phone assembly and tea packaging, giving a base monthly salary of ¥1,500 ($220).

Agriculture and livestock farming in the county produces corn, wheat, rice, cotton, grapes and melons.

Industries in the county include jade mining, cotton ginning, tractor repair and preserved fruit processing.