Fudan-sponsored team aims to map Silk Road

A seven-person team led by the Institute of Chinese Historical Geography at Fudan University will begin a 20-day trek Saturday through the Pamir Mountains in China to map out part of the ancient Silk Road.

The mountains span China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The team plans to use the expedition to create a detailed digital map of the area, said Hou Yangfang, a professor at the Institute of Chinese Historical Geography who will join the expedition.

"It will include specific mountain passes between two mountain peaks, rivers and lakes along the road, the longitude and latitude of each landmark, the height of each mountain, how many slopes and whether they are flat or steep," Hou told the Global Times Sunday.

The expedition aims to fill in the gaps left by previous surveys of the area, which focused on archaeological excavations, Hou said.

There are few records about the geography of that part of the Silk Road.

Hou said the expedition combines the sciences of archeology and geography. It represents a new effort by the institute to map the area.

The trip will begin and end in the city of Kashi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

"Through the expedition, we want to explore the exact route of the Silk Road that goes through the Pamir Mountains in China," Hou said.

"We also plan to go on another expedition through the entire Pamir Mountains this summer to finish the map of the Silk Road that crosses the plateau," Hou added.