Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Yao Gang) news: When the sky began to lighten on March 26, 2025, Kurban Ushur's motorcycle was already illuminating the path to the Niya Ruins, which are located in a desert, 150 kilometers north of Minfeng County, Hotan Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Over the past decade, he has traversed this route on camelback, on a two-wheeled motorcycle, and now, a four-wheeled one.

"Today's weather forecast predicts a sandstorm. There's no need to rush back. If the wind gets too strong, just take shelter in the makeshift cave known as a "diwozi." his wife would always wake up early to prepare food and water for his patrol, reminding him to stay safe.

Photo shows the patrolmen on a patrol of the Niya Ruins. (Photo provided by Erkin Ahmed)

Kurban, a patrolman of the Niya Ruins, has developed a dark red complexion, a blend of desert sand and scorching sun.

Located in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert, over 100 kilometers north of Minfeng County, the Niya Ruins are the remains of the ancient Jingjue Kingdom from the Han and Jin dynasties, buried beneath the shifting sands. The site, spanning approximately 30 kilometers from north to south and five kilometers from east to west, contains over 200 relics, including architectural ruins, Buddhist temples, pagodas, farmlands, and roads.

"With a four-wheeled motorcycle, it would take three or four days to go through a patrol. Before 2015, when we rode camels on patrol, it would take more than ten days," said Kurban. In 2015, he was provided with a two-wheeled motorcycle, which was later upgraded to a four-wheeled one in 2022, significantly easing his journey.

"Back then, it took my father three to four days to get to the ruins. Now, if the weather is good, I can reach there in just four or five hours by motorcycle," said Kurban. He hails from Hongqi Village in Salewuzeke Township, Minfeng County, the village closest to the Niya Ruins.

The village is now connected by a road, making travel to the township, county, and even Hotan City much more convenient. "I grew up patrolling the Niya Ruins with my father. It's a precious legacy left by our ancestors. We must protect this invaluable cultural heritage of our country," said Kurban, who once considered working outside but was persuaded to stay by his father.

"Our government strongly supports cultural heritage protection, and now I earn a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan," he added. In his spare time, Kurban raises some sheep and grows melons with his wife.

Over the past century since the discovery of the Niya Ruins, a large number of world-renowned cultural relics have been unearthed, including the "Five Stars Rise in the East" brocade armband. Although Kurban has never seen these artifacts in person, he takes pride in knowing that they were discovered in the ruins he and his father have guarded.

There are over 200 patrol points, with the farthest one located 15 kilometers from the core area of the Niya Ruins.

The most worrisome part of the patrol for Kurban is encountering sandstorms. The convergence of cold and warm air in the Taklimakan Desert during spring and early summer creates blinding sandstorms. "The wind is so strong that you can't open your eyes, and the sand stings your face," said Kurban. In the past, when caught in a sandstorm, he would have to find a dense grove of saxaul trees and lie down, covering his head with his clothes until the storm passed.

Photo shows the patrolmen of the Niya Ruins repair the fence that was blown down by the strong wind. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Yao Gang)

Now, the patrol station has built shelters for sandstorms, that is "diwozi" beneath the sand dunes, stored with rice, flour, cooking oil, and stoves. When sandstorms hit, patrolmen can take refuge inside.

As the world's second-largest shifting sand desert, the Taklimakan Desert poses higher demands for the protection of the Niya Ruins. "Sometimes, the relics we see for the first time are buried by the sand the next time we visit. Our job is to record the locations and conditions of these relics as accurately as possible," said Kurban. With no mobile signal during patrols, years of experience have turned him into a living map of the site. He mentally sketches the patrol route and memorizes the basic information of the relics, reporting back to the cultural heritage department by phone when he returns.

The story of Niya is always caught between discovery and burial, while the patrolmen measure this distance with their footsteps.

"This job is monotonous and somewhat dangerous. Few young people are willing to do it. I hope more people will join the protection of the Niya Ruins and preserve this precious historical legacy," said Kurban. Including him, all five patrolmen of the Niya Ruins are from Hongqi Village, with an average age of over 45.

As the horizon at the edge of the desert begins to lighten, the tracks of a new day's patrol will soon cover the old ones. Kurban looks forward to the day when motorcycles are replaced by more advanced equipment.

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