The Andier Ruins

The Andier Ruins

The Andier Ruins are a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Ancient City of Andier is a national key cultural relics protection unit, located in the hinterland of the desert about 27 kilometers southeast of the Andier Farm in Minfeng County, Hotan, to the southeast of the lower reaches of the Andier River. The ruins of the Ancient City of Andier consist of a stupa and temple complex, initially built during the Han Dynasty and gradually abandoned around the 11th century AD.

The Ancient City of Andier is an important relic from the Han and Tang dynasties along the southern route of the Silk Road. Early in the 20th century, foreign explorers such as Stein looted a large number of Tibetan, Brahmi, and Chinese manuscripts, as well as a collection of exquisite artifacts. The ancient city ruins currently include circular city walls, Buddhist temples, stupas, and cemeteries. From the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, as the flow of the Andier River decreased, the site was gradually abandoned.

Hotan, Xinjiang

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units