China's 39th Antarctic expedition comes to an end
China's research icebreaker Xuelong 2 returned to Shanghai on Thursday, marking an end to China's 39th Antarctic expedition.
It finished a 163-day Antarctic expedition, together with icebreaker Xuelong, that arrived in Shanghai on Monday, after sailing more than 60,000 nautical miles.
It was the third time China has sent two icebreakers on polar expeditions.
The expedition focused primarily on how the waters in the Antarctic Ocean have reacted to global climate changes and involved a range of scientific tasks such as celestial observation, sub-glacial terrain detection, and investigations into the local water, land and air environments.
The voyage also included the replenishment of materials and rotation of staff at the Great Wall and Zhongshan Stations in Antarctica.