Kunlun Fog: Yu-tian

Author: Wang Rong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: "Myriad tunes are played in Yu-tan." Ancient Yu-tan refers to present-day Hotan, which is a region in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and a famous land of singing and dancing. The people here are skilled in singing and dancing, as they "learn to dance when they learn to walk and learn to sing when they learn to talk." It is also a renowned land of fruits, with apples, grapes, watermelons, sweet melons, pomegranates, walnuts, cherries, jujubes, thorny jujubes, as well as peaches, apricots, pears, figs, and almonds, available year-round and fresh in all seasons. Many centenarians live here, and their secret to longevity is a diet rich in sweet and fresh fruits, known as "half a year of mulberry fruits and half a year of grain." Yu-tan has been a land of jade since ancient times, renowned as the "home of the famous Yao jade." China has few places that produce jade, but "all precious jade comes from Yu-tan." Yu-tan was also a famous "silk center" on the ancient Silk Road, adding glory to the silk trade. Its silk weaving has thrived for generations and remains strong to this day. Today, the local specialty products, Wen Delisi silk and gold brocade, produced in the Hotan region, are still celebrated across Xinjiang and favored by people both domestically and internationally. It is truly a magical place. During the writing of this book, in addition to referencing and quoting historical documents and classics, as well as works such as Stein's Archaeological Notes of Westernmost China and The Ruins of Khotan Buried in Sand, materials from works like Buddhist Yu-tan and History of the Uyghurs were also consulted and quoted. Due to the limitations of this book's format, it was not possible to cite every source individually. Therefore, this explanation is provided, and sincere gratitude is expressed to the compilers of the aforementioned works and materials. This book is neither purely academic nor purely literary; it falls somewhere in between, combining academic rigor with literary charm, historical facts with vivid descriptions, making it an accessible read on history and culture.