China’s fourth Antarctic research station – the flying saucer-shaped Taishan – has officially opened, in another step for the country’s exploration ambitions in both earth and space.
The station, named for one of China’s five sacred mountains, sits at an altitude of 2,600 metres between China’s Zhongshan and Kunlun stations, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).
The site’s average annual temperature is minus 36.6 degrees Celsius and construction began on December 28.
The state-run Xinhua news agency reported at the weekend that President Xi Jinping offered written congratulations, calling scientific research in the frozen continent important for exploring nature and developing mankind.
State media announced in December that workers were on their way to construct the facility to be used during summer for research into “geology, glaciers, geomagnetism and atmospheric science”, saying its main building would be shaped “like a Chinese lantern”. A fifth station is also being planned, reports said.
Pictures of the Taishan facility released by Xinhua show a 12-sided structure raised on stilts above the ice.