The Kaladun Ruins

The Kaladun Ruins

The Kaladun Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Han to Northern and Southern Dynasties

The Kaladun Ruins are located about 24 kilometers northwest of the seat of Daheyuan Township Government in Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, deep in the desert. The ruins cover an area of approximately 500,000 square meters. The site centers around the Kaladun Fortress. Surrounding the fortress are multiple architectural complexes, mostly residential buildings and temples. A stupa can also be seen. Near the complexes are remnants of farmland and irrigation channels.

The Kaladun Fortress covers an area of 5,625 square meters, with a square shape and sides 75 meters long. Its walls are about 8 meters high and roughly 8 meters wide at the top. A gate is located slightly north of the eastern wall. The structures inside the fortress are all wooden buildings, most of which have collapsed. The surface of the ruins is scattered with red and gray pottery shards mixed with sand, broken wooden objects, fragments of stone mills, glass pieces, and coins. Wooden tablets inscribed with ancient Khotanese script have been collected here. In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units