29 Sep 2025
Moyu doesn’t seem like a town that receives many visitors. Even the town itself appears surprised to see tourists—especially foreign ones like us. This was most evident at the train station, where we encountered probably the tightest security checks of our entire China trip.
That morning, we first visited the Hotan Jade Market before departing for Moyu. The air was a bit chilly, but it was a fun walk. Huge jade boulders—some costing thousands or even tens of thousands—were displayed on outdoor stalls. As amateurs, we simply strolled along the street and admired the stones.
After that, we headed to the train station for our short 15-minute ride to Moyu. Since it’s so close to Hotan, we figured, why not? We also heard that Moyu is known for dark-coloured jade, different from Hotan’s white jade, so we were curious to see something new.
It turned out to be quite different from what we expected—but still an interesting day trip.
Unusually Tight Security in Moyu
The security check when exiting Moyu train station was stricter than usual. The officers and police were professional and friendly, but they seemed mildly confused about why two foreigners were visiting this quiet town. So they asked more questions than usual. Honestly, it was quite amusing to receive so much attention from the authorities.
Once we explained that we were just doing a day trip from Hotan and planned to leave after a few hours, they let us through.
Trying to Get Around: Limited Taxis
I’d read that it could be hard to get a taxi in Moyu, and that turned out to be true. There were barely any taxis waiting outside the station—quite uncommon for China.
Luckily, we were able to call a taxi through an app, though we had to wait a bit since the station was quite far from town.
We eventually reached the town centre. It was a sunny day.
The streets were cute—nicely decorated—but extremely quiet. Not sure if we came at the wrong time, but we barely saw any visitors.
We walked to a coffee house. The drinks were okay, but it felt nice to sit down and enjoy the slow pace.
An Unexpected Encounter at the Cultural Center
Next, we walked to what seemed like a cultural centre. It looked like some local leaders were visiting, because there were performers upstairs waiting to welcome someone, and we saw a group accompanying a man on a tour of the facility.
(Side note: Why do I mention this tiny incident? Well, a few days later, when we flew from Hotan to Kuqa, we saw the same man on our flight. Coincidence? We jokingly worried we might be mistaken for spies following him around. >< )
We did feel a bit like intruders, but it was a public space and no one stopped us—probably because they weren’t expecting visitors at all.
Transport Trouble at the Mulberry Paper Industrial Park
I had read about Moyu’s history of mulberry-paper making, and there was an industrial park showcasing traditional craftsmanship. Even though reviews were mixed, we decided to check it out.
It was about 30 minutes out of town—not alarming on its own, since Xinjiang is vast—but it turned out to be much more remote than expected. When we arrived, there was almost no one there.
There were tools on display and brief introductions, but no workshops or experiences. A few small buildings were open, but most were closed. Only the main shop was operating, selling mulberry paper and some books—quite expensive, and not much variety.
But… maybe because there were so few tourists, they also sold other souvenirs at cheaper prices. We found silk scarves and trinkets that were cheaper than in town. So at least the trip wasn’t entirely wasted.
The real trouble came when trying to leave. It was so far out that taxis barely went there. We tried booking several times—no luck. We switched between Gaode and Didi, and finally managed to get a car that took us straight back to the train station.
The Most Intense Security Check of the Entire Trip
When we returned to the train station, the security officers recognised us immediately and said, “You’re back~”.
They took a very long time to register us. While the main officer was typing, the others chatted with us—asking where we were from—and then proceeded to check our bags thoroughly. They literally turned our backpacks inside out. One officer even flipped through my travel diary just to see what it was about.
This was definitely the most vigilant security check we had experienced. But since there were very few passengers, maybe they were just bored?
Either way, they eventually let us through, and we returned to Hotan.
Was it worth the trip? Honestly… probably not. There isn’t much to do in Moyu.
But it was still an interesting and memorable experience.
Back in Hotan
At night, we went to a restaurant near the jade market for freshwater fish. It was okay.
The fried noodles were great though—I really love Xinjiang noodles. They’re always chewy and delicious, whether in soup, stir-fried, tomato-based, or anything else.
Then we visited the new night market, which felt more like a large food court. As I mentioned earlier, the old night market was much more interesting.
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