karakash river

The Karakash or Black Jade River flows from its origin near Sumde on the northern slopes of the Karakorum Mountain range, the actual Aksai Chin on the Tibetan Plateau westward along the northern crest range of the Kuen Lun's. The Karakash river then turns sharply northwards near Xaidulla, the ancient Shahidulla Mazar of Aurel Stein, and, after traversing the mountain range and passing through the town of Khotan, looses itself in the Takla Makan desert. The Karakash river is famous for its white and greenish Jade (Nephrite) carried as river boulders and pebbles toward Khotan. This river Jade orginates from eroded mountain deposits of which the most famous one is near Gulbashen (See also H. Schlagintweit). The Karakash valley was also a caravan road for the north-south trade between Yarkand (China) and Leh (Kashmir-India) over the Karakoram Pass at the Pakistan-India-China border. It is actually tranversed by a modern gravel highway connecting Kashgar via Kanxiwar and Dahongliutan to the Aksai Chin/Tibet Region.