Red-and-White Mountain is located in Moyu County, Hotan, 180 kilometers away from Moyu County Town, on the western edge of the Taklamakan Desert and the southwestern central part of the Tarim Basin. It stands at an altitude of 1,570 meters, stretches 90 kilometers from east to west, and covers an area of 700 square kilometers. Locals call it Mazartag Mountain. It was named Divine Mountain in the Tang Dynasty, Xin Mountain during the Tubo reign, and Tongsheng Mountain in the Song Dynasty. It gets its present name for its unique landform consisting of a red mountain and a white mountain, as well as the ruins of the ancient Tang-era Mazartag garrison fort atop the mountain.

As a cuesta formed by the reactivation and uplift of fissures in the Tarim Basin uplift zone due to the Cenozoic Himalayan Orogeny, Red-and-White Mountain borders the green corridor of the Hotan River alluvial plain on its east and is surrounded by desert on its west, lying within an extremely arid desert zone. This cuesta shaped by neotectonic movements is of great significance for researching the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Tarim Basin. Besides, the scenic area boasts marvelous landscapes including rock formations, forests, grasslands, oil deposits and ancient relics. Ancient documents and other cultural relics have been unearthed at the Mazartag garrison fort ruins. Having witnessed the rise and fall of multiple dynasties, the ancient fortress preserves precious written records and artifacts, drawing numerous explorers and archaeologists.