Chinese scientists are planning for an exploration of the Colorado River by boat in the United States to gather scientific data about the Grand Canyon in July, according to the China Scientific Exploration Association (CSEA).  

The exploration will be the first of its kind for Chinese explorers.

Two US-based exploration companies last October invited the Sichuan Scientific Exploration Association, one of their cooperators, to organize the exploration of the Grand Canyon.

The CSEA then approved the plan and put it on the list of important scientific exploration activities in 2004. Besides river exploration, the CSEA also planned to arrange an on-land scientific investigation of the canyon.

The investigation team will be mainly made up of those who had participated in scientific explorations of the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has been confirmed as the largest canyon in the world.

Those who have participated in explorations of the Yangtze, Yellow, Pearl and Hanjiang rivers in China are in priority of the recruitment for the drifting exploration team, which will head for the destination on July 8 after accepting training in May.

The exploration of the Colorado River will offer Chinese scientists first-hand data of importance for contrast studies of the above-mentioned two canyons, said Gao Dengyi, chairman of the CSEA.

Meanwhile, both the scientific investigation and river explorations will demonstrate the Chinese national spirit and the courage of Chinese explorers to the world, he said.

China's exploration by boat, starting in 1985, had experienced two important stages of development over the past 18 years.

At the first stage featuring nationalism and patriotism, great losses caused by the explorations of the Yangtze River in 1986 and Yellow River next year led to a 12-year-long suspension of such activities.

The exploration of the Yarlung Zangbo and Pearl rivers in 1998 marked the second stage, during which the essence of drifting exploration was reconsidered, marking the maturity of the activity in the country.

The coming investigation and river exploration of the Grand Canyon represents a new stage and the direction of exploration development of China's exploration services.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2004)