The Great Wall Station (Chinese: 长城站; pinyin: Chángchéng Zhàn) is the first Chinese research station in Antarctica and opened on 20 February 1985. It lies on the Fildes Peninsula on King George Island, from

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

. It is sited on ice-free rock, about above sea level. The station is about from the Chilean

Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva is the most important Antarctic base of Chile. It is located at Fildes Peninsula, an ice-free area, in front of Fildes Bay, at the west end of King George Island, South Shetland Islands. Situated alongside t ...

. A long unpaved road, Zhongzhi Gonglu, provides convenient vehicle access from the station to Frei, Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport and

Bellingshausen Station Bellingshausen Station () is a Russian Antarctic station at Collins Harbour, on King George Island of the South Shetland Islands. It was one of the first research stations founded by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1968. It is also the loca ...

. The station collaborates with logistical support and sharing of facilities with other nearby stations from Chile, Russia, Uruguay, Korea and Brazil.

History

In 1984, China organized its first scientific expedition to Antarctica, and Guo Kun was named the leader of the 591-member expedition team. The team departed

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

on 20 November 1984 on two ships, the ''Xiang Yang Hong 10'' and the ''J121'', and arrived at King George Island off the coast of Antarctica on 30 December. A main part of their mission was to construct China's first antarctic base, the Great Wall Station. As the ''Xiang Yang Hong 10'' was not an

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

, the team had to leave before the end of the antarctic summer and had only a short window of opportunity to complete their mission. Under Guo's supervision, the team worked 16 to 17 hours a day in often severe weather conditions, and completed the construction in only 40 days. Construction of the station was completed on 14 February 1985. In summer, the station holds up to 60 people; in winter, 14. The station's No. 1 Building, erected in 1985, lies at the centre of the station and has a total floor area of . It marks the beginning of China's presence in Antarctica and its Antarctic research program. In 2012, the

Antarctic Treaty System The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. It was the first arms ...

designated two sites at the station as

Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica A Historic Site or Monument (HSM) is a protected location of historic interest on the continent of Antarctica, or on its adjacent islands. The list of historic sites was first drawn up in 1972,

following nominations by China: a monolith erected to commemorate the establishment of the station and the station's No.1 Building. Antarctic China2

References

Bibliography

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External links

Official website Polar Research Institute of China

Official website Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration

COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
{{Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica Outposts of the South Shetland Islands China and the Antarctic Buildings and structures completed in 1985 Polar Research Institute of China Historic Sites and Monuments of Antarctica 1985 establishments in Antarctica

History

See also

References

Bibliography

External links