Yotkan Ruins

　　   Guide    The Yotkan Ruins are located in Ailaman Village, Bagqi Township, approximately 11 kilometers west of Hotan City, bordered by Hailiqi Cliff to the north and Alalba Village and Yalan Gan Village to the east.    Introduction    This site is an important ancient settlement of the Khotan region. Artifacts unearthed through various dynasties have been found in the cultural layer located more than 5 meters beneath the surface, with the stratum reaching a thickness of about 3 meters. In the northeastern corner of the ruins, there is an exposed section of the cultural layer with a dense distribution of pottery fragments. Artifacts discovered over time include pottery figurines, pottery shards, ancient coins, glass pieces, beads, gold cast statues, seals, jade fragments, bones, and more. The pottery figurines mostly depict humans and animals. Most of the pottery shards are adorned with carved, stamped, and applied decorations, with relief motifs featuring geometric patterns, plant designs, human and animal figures—all showing strong Persian and Greek influences. In 1959, a small gold duck and Tang Dynasty “Qianyuan Zhongbao” coins were unearthed. The gold duck, finely crafted, resembles ducks depicted in Tang Dynasty murals at the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. Sven Hedin also excavated Christian gold coins, crosses, and a gold medallion, suggesting that during the time the site was active, two missionaries had come here to preach.

　　      The currently protected area covers a marshy depression of about 0.3 square kilometers, lying 8 meters below ground level. The Yotkan Ruins are a key provincial-level cultural heritage site.      

　　       Hotan, Xinjiang