On April 10, the polar expedition icebreaker "Snow Dragon" docked in Qingdao, Shandong, marking the successful completion of the 40th Chinese Antarctic expedition and the return of all of them to China. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Shandong Provincial People's Government held a welcome event at the dock of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Base. Wang Hong, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Director of the State Oceanic Administration, Vice Chairman of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, Chen Ping, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, and Zhao Haozhi, Mayor of Qingdao, attended the welcome event and delivered speeches.
The 40th Antarctic Expedition organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources is an important scientific expedition to carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future at an important moment when the mainland Antarctic expedition has gone through 40 years of glorious history. All the members of the inspection team always keep in mind the cordial care of General Secretary Xi Jinping, always bear in mind the "great man of the country", bravely fight the extreme cold, perseverance, hard work and dedication, rigorous and realistic, hard work, and successfully complete various inspection tasks.
For the first time, the Antarctic expedition was supported by three ships, "Snow Dragon", "Snow Dragon 2" and "Tianhui". The expedition team departed from China on November 1, 2023, lasting more than five months and covering a total distance of more than 81,000 nautical miles. After 52 days of hard work, the Qinling Station was built and put into use with high standards. At the same time, focusing on cutting-edge scientific issues such as the impact and feedback of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystem, the survey and monitoring of the Astronaut Sea, the Amundsen Sea, the Ross Sea, the adjacent waters of the Antarctic Peninsula, and the Pritz Bay have been completed, and a number of important scientific research results have been carried out.
It is reported that during the "Snow Dragon" docking in Qingdao, a three-day open day will be held for the public to visit. Previously, on April 8, the "Snow Dragon 2" docked in Hong Kong and opened a five-day open day exchange activity.
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Reporter: Lan Shengwei, Zhao Jiandong, Cui Yuchen
Photography: Zhao Jiandong, Cui Jiale
New Media Editor: Xue Liang