Mainland vessel is in HK on the way to polar adventure
A group of 127 Chinese scientists and sailors are Antarctic bound - and Hong Kong academic Ho Kin-chung knows exactly what they can expect: a bone-shaking voyage battling seas higher than their ship and a high-fat diet to keep them warm when they reach their destination.
They'll need to hold tight to something all across the Southern Ocean - even when they sleep - as the icebreaker Xue Long forges its way next week from Hong Kong to the world's last unspoiled continent, says Professor Ho. 'You would probably be too seasick to eat for days,' he adds.
He should know. The Open University professor has travelled by sea to both the Arctic and the Antarctic - making the former voyage aboard the Xue Long, whose name means Snow Dragon.
The mainland's only operational icebreaker, which is on its ninth voyage to the South Pole, docked in Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday and goes on show to invited guests over the weekend.
All 12,000 tickets have already been issued to schools, social groups and members of the public.