Sandstorms Paint Xinjiang's Hotan Orange [Video] – China Videos

A collection of maps, recently-released pictures, and conspiracy theories that shed more light on the mysterious events that claimed the lives of an estimated 18 people in Hotan (a.k.a. Khotan) on July 18th, 2011.

When Chinese buyers began arriving here in the early 1990s and the locals got wind of the stones’ potential value, his uncle made an enviable deal: he traded a rock the girth of a well-fed hog for a skinny cow. “Today, my uncle would be a millionaire,” Mr. Tohti, now a jade dealer, said with a wince.

After centuries of irresponsible use, China's drylands are giving way to the Gobi Desert which is advancing deeper into China every year.

A potent story about Xinjiang and Han development there. Not much that is truly ground breaking in the story -- but it does give a decent picture of the divide.