China's top 10 scientific advances in 2020

6. Measuring the new height of Mount Qomolangma

The new height of the world's tallest mountain, Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest in the West, was measured as standing 8,848.86 meters above sea level by Chinese surveyors in May 2020.

The number is of the highest precision ever in the mountain's height measurement history.

The mission, headed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, was conducted by the first Geodetic Surveying Brigade and members of the China Mountaineering Team. It took nearly a month to complete the work.

According to the ministry, innovations in techniques and equipment included the use of the Beidou 3 Navigation Satellite System, Chinese-made surveying equipment, a gravimeter carried by plane and 3D interactive virtual reality.

During the process, the Chinese scientists' team completed the first high-precision airborne gravity survey for Mount Qomolangma and its surrounding region and it filled the gap in relevant data.