The Sunday market at Hotan is one of the great markets of Central Asia, drawing Uyghur traders and farmers from across the southern Xinjiang oasis on the one day a week when business is done properly. The scale is enormous — thousands of stalls spread across several blocks of the old city, selling everything from live livestock to dried apricots, copper pots, rugs, spices, and the ubiquitous jade.
The jade section alone is worth coming for. Hundreds of dealers lay out their stones on cloth or plastic sheeting: polished pieces, raw chunks in green and cream, small carvings, pendants, and larger decorative pieces. The haggling is serious and conducted largely without a common language — most dealers have limited Mandarin and less English, but the transaction has its own logic. If you know what you are looking at, there are genuine bargains here; if you don't, stick to pieces you find beautiful rather than valuable.
The food section is particularly strong. Samsa — flaky baked pastries stuffed with lamb and onion — come out of tandoor ovens hot throughout the morning. Laghman noodles are pulled to order. Whole roasted sheep are carved at the back. The dried fruit stalls carry varieties of apricot, raisin, and fig that you will not find in any supermarket. The market runs from early morning until early afternoon.