Brief Description: This is a pilot project to explore the path of transmission of Avalokiteśvara (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) on the Silk Road. By focusing on one class of data to populate the GIS, this project aims to (1) create a database with a new, interactive presentation, and (2) produce some key resources for a long-term project on the Silk Road. The Silk Road as a spatial template offers extraordinarily rich opportunities for exploring how digital technologies can enhance the understanding and interpretations of the history, art, culture, and religion of a large geographical area that crosses many political boundaries in the pre-modern era.