Minfeng Town

Minfeng 泥雅 · نىيە
County-level city
Monument in downtown Minfeng
Minfeng Location in Xinjiang
Coordinates: 37°03′N 82°41′E / 37.050°N 82.683°E / 37.050; 82.683Coordinates: 37°03′N 82°41′E / 37.050°N 82.683°E / 37.050; 82.683
Country	People's Republic of China
County	Minfeng
Elevation	1,405 m (4,610 ft)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	848500
Website	hts.gov.cn

Niya (Chinese: 泥雅; pinyin: Níyǎ, Uighur:نىيە, Нийә), is a town in Minfeng County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

It is the county seat of Minfeng County, and therefore is commonly referred to as Minfeng, and is labeled so on less detailed maps. An ancient town also called Niya is located 115 km to the north of this modern Niya.

Niya is located on China National Highway 315, which is the main Ruoqiang-Hotan road along the southern edge of the Tarim Basin.

It is situated 120 km east of Keriya, and about 330 km west of Qiemo (Cherchen). Human habitation in the area is possible because of the Niya River, fed by the snows and glaciers of the Kunlun.

Niya is a small town of about 10,000 people with a small market, shops, many restaurants, and a hotel.

Niya/Minfeng was known in ancient time as Ronglu (戎盧) during the Han dynasties (206 BC - 222 AD) and, according to the Hanshu Chapter 96A, was said to have had "240 households, 610 individuals with 300 persons able to bear arms" during the Former Han Dynasty (206 BC - 23 AD). It is situated about 115 km north of the modern town of Minfeng. Numerous Buddhist scriptures, sculptures, mummies and other precious archeological finds have been made in the region. The remains of more than seventy buildings have been discovered scattered over an area of some 45 km². It was located on the southern branch of the Silk Road.