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RE: The Silk Road

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Ruins of ancient town found in Xinjiang

Chinese archaeologists working in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have found the ruins of an ancient town in the country's largest desert.
The town, covering at least 65,000 square meters, was uncovered last week in the Taklimakan Desert in Qira county, Hotan prefecture, Dr. Wu Xinhua, head of the Xinjiang archaeological team of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Friday.
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The ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand has celebrated its 2,750th anniversary with displays of fireworks and dance.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who was born in Samarkand, praised the city's rich cultural and historical heritage.
Less than two decades ago the city had its 2,500th birthday but archaeologists recently found texts showing it to be older than first thought.

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Over the past several years, institutes, programs and projects have been steadily rebuilding one of humankind's most amazing wonders the Silk Road. As the disparate pieces of the Trans-Asian Railway and Asian Highway gradually start to link up, Japan should ensure that it is not left out of the developments. By contributing to the ongoing renewal of the Silk Road, Japan could find an excellent way to connect with cultures from Xian to Venice, and rediscover Japan's rich influences and past connections.

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China has sent its navy to protect marine archaeologists on an expedition that salvaged more than 10,000 pieces of antique porcelain from a sunken junk in a campaign against looters and art smugglers.
It is believed to be the first time that China has deployed its armed forces to stop the plunder of its undersea cultural heritage along the ancient shipping routes, which are known in Chinese as the silk road of the seas.

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A museum curator has suggested that Vietnam establish a centre to study aquatic relics as Vietnams coast could host thousands of such objects left behind by ships travelling along the Silk Road centuries ago.
Pham Quoc Quan, director of the Vietnam History Museum, said an underwater archaeology centre is necessary as Vietnam boasts over 3,000 km of coastline at the crossroads of oriental and occidental civilizations.
He cited a company named Seabed Exploration as saying Vietnamese seas may be home to as many as 40 ship wrecks.

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China plans to construct 12 highways that will pass through several Asian cities toward Europe - a scheme which could be a revival of the ancient trade route of the Silk Road.

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Researchers using satellite technology are drawing up maps of the ancient city of Milan in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in a bid to better protect this important point along the Silk Road. Milan is home to many cultural relics, including the world-renowned that were created some 2,000 years ago. A team of experts from the Beijing Special Engineering Design Research Institute visited the region early this month to survey the ruins.
Using cutting-edge satellite technology, the team collected detailed data on the 40-plus-square-kilometre area surrounding the ruins of Milan, said Lu Hanqian, the senior engineer leading the team.
Milan is located in the southern part of Lop Nur in Xinjiang, more than 900 kilometres away from the region's capital, Urumqi. The city was an important transportation hub during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD).

Source: Xinhua