This study was designed to analyze the structure and functions of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in Tarim red deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis). The expression of VDR gene was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) based on transcriptome sequencing results. Homology comparison, phylogenetic tree construction and bioinformatics analysis were carried out using related software. The up-regulated expression trend of VDR gene in qPCR was consistent with that in transcriptome sequencing. The results of homology comparison and phylogenetic tree construction showed that the genetic distance between VDR gene of Tarim red deer and that of Odocoileus virginianus (GenBank accession number: XM_020889235.1) was the closest and the homology was the highest, while the genetic distance between VDR gene of Tarim red deer and that of Rattus norvegicus (GenBank accession number: NM_017058.1) was far and the homology was the lowest, which was confirmed by phylogenetic tree. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the Tarim red deer VDR protein was composed of 20 kinds of amino acids with molecular weight of 32.92 ku and its theoretical isoelectric point was 5.73. It was predicted that the instability index of VDR protein was 33.56, the lipid solubility index was 94.95, and its hydrophilic average coefficient was﹣0.298. VDR did not have transmembrane region, O-glycosylation site and signal peptide, but it had 1 N-glycosylation site and 15 phosphorylation sites, most likely located in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The secondary and tertiary structures of VDR protein were mainly comprised of α-helix and random coil. It had 3 low complexi regions and did not have conservative structure regions.