Hotan River

The Hotan River (also known as the Khotan River or the Ho-t'ien River) is formed by the union of the White Jade (Yurungkash) and Karakash (Black Jade) Rivers, which flow north from the Kunlun Mountains into the Taklamakan Desert in northern China. The two rivers unite towards the middle of the desert, some 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of the town of Hotan. The river then flows 290 kilometres (180 mi) northwards across the desert and empties itself into the Tarim River.^[2] Because the river is fed by melting snow from the mountains, it only carries water during the summer and is dry the rest of the year. Prior to construction of the Tarim Desert Highway in 1995, the Hotan river bed provided the only transportation system across the Tarim Basin.^[3]

Map including the Hotan River (labeled as Ho-tien Ho) and surrounding region (USATC, 1971)^[a]

Hotan River
The Hotan River is formed by the union of the White Jade and Black Jade Rivers in northern China.[1]
Native name	خوتەن دەرياسى (Uyghur) 和田河 (Chinese)
Physical characteristics
Source	Karakash River, White Jade River
• coordinates	38.08°N 80.56°E / 38.08; 80.56
Mouth	Tarim River
• coordinates	40.478479°N 80.944169°E / 40.478479; 80.944169
Basin features
Progression	Tarim→ Taitema Lake

Hotan River
Uyghur name
Uyghur	خوتەن دەرياسى‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Xoten deryasi Yengi Yeziⱪ Hotən dəryasi Siril Yëziqi Хоtəн дәряси
Chinese name
Chinese	和田河
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hétián Hé Wade–Giles He2-t'ien2 He2
Old name
Traditional Chinese	和闐河
Simplified Chinese	和阗河
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hétián Hé Wade–Giles He2-t'ien2 He2

Wells

In the mid-20th century, wells along the course of the river included (south to north): Hsüeh-erh-ch'i-k'o-ma, Chi-la-mu-yeh-te-tao, Ai-k'o-t'i-ken, Ch'i-erh-ko-han-t'u-mu-shu-k'o, A-ya-k'o-wu-ssu-tan, Man-ta-t'u-mu-shu-k'o, Lo-tsa-pai-t'u-mu-shu-k'o, Yeh-ma-la-k'o-tao, Po-lo-ch'u-shih-kan, Hsi-t'i-pa-ku-t'an and Ya-erh-te-ku-tzu.^[4]