Yarkand, oasis city, southwestern Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, far western China. It is situated in an oasis watered by the Yarkand River at the western end of the Tarim River basin, southeast of Kashgar (Kashi), at the junction of roads to Aksu to the northwest and to Hotan (Khotan) to the southeast. The roads form parts of the ancient northern and southern branches of the Silk Road through the Tarim Basin. The city comprises several separate walled units, one of which is named Shache and another Yarkand; both names have at times been used as general terms for the city as a whole and for the oasis.
Yarkand first came to the notice of the Chinese in the latter part of the 2nd century bce, when it was known as the kingdom of Shache, commanding the route over the lofty Pamirs. At the end of the 1st century ce, weakened by warfare with its neighbours, Yarkand was taken by Chinese armies under Ban Chao. During the Tang dynasty (618–907) it again began to emerge as an important place, after having been overshadowed by Karghalik to the south and by Kashgar to the northwest. It gained further prominence in the 12th and 13th centuries, becoming the chief base of the khanate of Chagatai (part of the Mongol empire). At the end of the 16th century Yarkand was riven by factional dissension and was eventually incorporated into the khanate of Kashgar. It was finally brought under Chinese control in the mid-18th century.
The oasis covers some 1,240 square miles (3,210 square km) and is highly fertile. It produces a variety of grain crops, as well as cotton, hemp, beans, fruit, and mulberry leaves for the local silk industry. Around the oasis there is extensive stock rearing, primarily of camels, horses, and sheep. The towns produce many handicrafts, such as fine cotton and silk textiles, carpets, and leather goods. The population of the oasis area includes a wide variety of peoples, among them Chinese (Han), Uighurs, Iranians, and some South Asians. Pop. (2000) 88,148.