Get to know Niya County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Hotan Prefecture
- Chinese name
- 民丰县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 56,759.86 km²
- Population · 2020
- 42,649
- Administrative seat
- Niya
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Structures among the dunes
Sand hills surround the site, where earth-and-timber houses, river channels and irrigation canals survive alongside remains of stupas, temples and manor houses. Excavations have recovered patterned textiles. A silk armguard discovered in 1995 carries the phrase “Five stars rise in the east, benefiting China” (五星出东方利中国). The county government’s account identifies it as a Han-dynasty brocade made in Shu (蜀地).
Architecture shaped by the ancient city
Minfeng County Museum (民丰县博物馆), completed in June 2024, stands east of the county people’s hospital. Its enclosed ancient-city form has a front elevation likened to a desert eagle by the county government. The landscaped setting includes a glass stupa referencing the Niya site and a water feature in the square.
Sources for this guide
尼雅遗址_文化古迹_民丰旅游_民丰县人民政府 · Hotan Prefecture Museum, via Niya County Government
民丰县博物馆简介_历史文化_民丰旅游_民丰县人民政府 · Niya County Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-27.
Explore Niya County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Niya County
Niya Cultural Relics Museum · Plan your visit
Getting there
Niya County is about 255 km in a straight line from central Hotan Prefecture. Search for 民丰县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Niya Cultural Relics Museum. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Hotan Prefecture →More in Hotan Prefecture
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Niya Cultural Relics Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.