Termez (Dielimu 迭里迷)

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Termez is a city in present-day Uzbekistan on the Silk Road. Chen Cheng describes it as follows:

"The city of Termez is south-west of Samarkand. It is more than 2000 li from Hami. The city is located on the eastern shore of the Amu River (Amu he). It was established because of its proximity to the river [shuiya]. The river is quite broad and difficult to cross without a boat [zhouji]. It is somewhat dangerous.

"The people living inside and outside of the city ramparts number several hundred. [animals...], and there are many fish in the river. The old city is 10-20 li away. The land to the east of the river is governed by Samarkand. In the forest [lulin] to the west of the river there are said to be lions."

Notes

[1] "It is 257 km north and slightly west of Samarkand, and today has a population of approximately 5000 people."

- Chen Cheng, Xiyu fanguo zhi, ed. by Zhou Liankuan, Zhong-wai jiaotong
shi ji congkan (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2000), pp. 90-91.