Niya (Tarim Basin)
| Cadota 尼雅 |
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Textile from Niya, showing influences from the East and the West.
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 Shown within Xinjiang
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| Location | Xinjiang, China |
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| Coordinates | 38°01′17″N 82°44′15″E / 38.021400°N 82.737600°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
The ruins of Niya (simplified Chinese: 尼雅遗址; traditional Chinese: 尼雅遺址; pinyin: Níyǎ Yízhǐ), is an archaeological site located about 115 km (71 mi) north of modern Minfeng Town (also called Niya) on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin in modern-day Xinjiang, China. The ancient site was known in its native language as Caḍ́ota, and in Chinese during the Han Dynasty as Jingjue (Chinese: 精絕; pinyin: Jīngjué). Numerous ancient archaeological artifacts have been uncovered at the site.
Niya was once a major commercial center on an oasis on the southern branch of the Silk Road in the southern Taklamakan Desert. During ancient times camel caravans would cut through, carrying goods from China to Central Asia.
In Hanshu, an independent oasis state called Jingjue, generally thought to be Niya, is mentioned:
The seat of the king's government is the town of Jingjue, and it is distant by 8,820 li [probably 3,667 km/2,279 miles] from Ch'ang-an. There are 480 households, 3,350 individuals with 500 persons able to bear arm. [There are the following officials] the commandant of Jingjue, the leaders of the left and the right and an interpreter-in-chief.
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Wikipedia