Drone image of mountain ranges/CGTN

Peking University, August 4, 2022: For researchers who aspire to demystify the planet earth, there is no mountain too high to climb. It is particularly the case for researchers who endeavor to explore the world’s highest peak—Mount Qomolangma. In April and May this year, sixteen research teams made up of 270 scientists, led by Academicians Yao Tandong, Zhu Tong, and Piao Shilong, embarked on an expedition to Mount Qomolangma. 

Their scientific expedition, recorded by a team from CGTN Documentary, has been encapsulated into a 60-minute 4K feature documentary entitled “Earth Summit Mission,” which will premier on the CGTN Documentary Channel at 19:00 Beijing Time on August 5, 2022. 
 

Through breath-taking extreme aerial photography and a series of beautiful and majestic shots that generate a remarkable immersive experience, the feature documentary will present the details and the behind-the-scenes story of the scientific expedition, which culminated with a series of world records, including sending up an observation aerostat to an altitude of over 9,000 meters and collecting ice and snow samples from the highest point on earth.


Zhu Tong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and dean of the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering of PKU, was among the team of experts leading the expedition. 

The 59-year-old academician recollected how he and other researchers had used their own bodies as the experimental subject. Wearing equipment to measure the blood oxygen saturation level and the heart's rhythm, they were shuffling between the base camps and the Rongbuk Glacier on foot, in a bid to acquire first-hand information.


Professor Zhu Tong, who is also director of the Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, deemed that conducting human adaptability research under extreme conditions was of great significance to safeguard human health. A team of 27 researchers led by Professor Zhu Tong monitored the health condition of 50 volunteers positioned at varying altitudes: 5,200 meters, 5,800 meters, 6,350 meters and 8,848 meters.
Piao Shilong, professor at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences (CUES) of Peking University, who is also an academician of the CAS, centered his research on the ecology of Mount Qomolangma. 

During an interview with Xinhua News Agency back in May, Prof. Piao highlighted that it was hoped that through this expedition, Chinese scientists would unveil more mysteries about the world's highest peak, bringing the world's scientific research on Mount Qomolangma into a new phase. 

Written by: Meng Bin
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
With input from CGTN