Folk Customs
1. Keriya's Women Cap
Local Uighur ladies wear a special head cover invented in nearby Keriya. Mainly middle-aged and older Uighur ladies wear this on their heads and this kind of cap is unknown in other places of the world. It has the form of a tea - bowl and its diameter is 10 cms. It is worn as a decoration to make ladies more beautiful. The Uighur people call this cap "talpak" and its uniqueness has become world famous. A silk fabric covers the top of the cap with a peice of lambskin placed beneath. The handicraft is very particular. Ladies fix the cap on the right side of their white scarf using a needle and viewed from further away it appears to be a bowl or a flower bud. Guiness World Records have registered the cap has the world's smallest head cover!
2. Hotan Bazaar
Hotan's grand bazaar is located in the north eastern corner of Hotan city. It is one of the biggest markets in Southern Xinjiang. Often there are more than 100,000 people shopping on a Sunday in the bazaar in 14 special market areas. All kinds of local Hotan products can be bought here. In the bazaar, beautiful styled dresses can be seen or bought and many sweet fruits and delicious dishes and snacks tasted.
3. Mulberry Paper
Mulberry paper is a traditional handicraft of the Uighur nationality. At present there is only one family in Hotan district who still produces such paper. The family lives in Hotan city and the art has a history of more than 2,000 years. According to historical facts, this technique of paper making was practiced here more than 100 years earlier than Ceylon's invention of paper. The raw material for the paper consists of the bark of mullberry branches. The family make the paper pulp using the ashes of tamarisk and "toghrak" (a kind of a Chinese poplar) and boils them together with the bark. The whole work is done by hand and tourists can obtain such paper as souvenirs.
Longevity of people in Hotan
Xinjiang is one of the four big longevity areas in the world as published by the International Medical Science Institute in 1985. In Xinjiang, Hotan has one of the highest concentrated areas of longevity. Through the results of the 4th census taken in China , it became clear that there are more than 140 extremely old people in Hotan district. This situation on longevity has since led the world to attach great importance to nutrition.
In 1995, the Japanese West TV Station came especially to Hotan to make a TV film on the ancient age of people here. The Hotan district is dry with almost no rain. Powerful sandstorms often blast through the city and the area hardly seems hospitable. So why do Hotan people live so long? Hotan is at the edge of the desert, but its environment in the oasis is good. Even though there is little rain and snowfall, the massive snow storage melting from the Kunlun Mountains irrigates the farmland, providing sufficient water for plants. Locals also have a history of barring the encroaching desert through tree planting. Trees break the wind coming from the desert thus benefitting the health of the people.
The water is the life of the oasis and therefore the life of the people in the area. Local drinking water comes direclty off the Kunlun glaciers and is high in magnesium, mangance, iron, zinc and other trace elements which are healthy for you. Among them mangance is an antiaging element which can help long life.
Most of Hotan's older generation live in the countryside around the city. The one thing they have in common is that they all work hard every day. Moreover, they have the habit of going barefeet. Medicine proves that there are many outpoints on the sole of the foot. Daily massage is very healthy and going bare foot is actually a daily massage. Older people in Hotan also have another common habit; they sleep early at night and get up early in the following morning. All lead healthy lives and don't often indulge in over eating or drinking. Every day for breakfast most eat naan (a kind of flat toast bread), herbal tea and rose -petal jam. They like to eat fresh vegetables, dried and fresh fruits along with grain, flour and rice and many don't smoke. Having a bright and cheerful disposition is also a common speciality among such people. They are usually happy, gentle and share close relationships with their neighbors and family members. Most have a happy marriage history where the husband and wife respect each other. This kind of open mind is beneficial for health
Hotan is also a traditional district for Uighur medicine and treatment. Uighur medicine has done deep research on maintaining good health. The Uighur traditional medicine has a regulating effect on the human body and this could be one of the reasons why Hotan people live long lives.
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