
Apart from the “water salute”, Government Flying Service helicopters were seen hovering near the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront with a police brass band playing as the vessel docked at the Ocean Terminal to begin its five-day visit to the city.
The Xuelong 2 is China’s first self-built research ship, which is returning to the nation after completing a five-month research mission to mark the nation’s 40th Antarctic expedition.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Zheng Yanxiong, director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, welcomed the ship’s 30-strong delegation this morning which included Zhang Beichen, the team leader and chief scientist of China’s 40th Antarctic expedition, and captain Xiao Zhimin.
Lee said the icebreaker’s return home with a first stop in the city was a “historic” and landmark event for the local scientific and environmental sectors.
He added that the ship’s visit would allow residents to learn more about China’s technological achievements in its polar expeditions and offered a chance for the public to embrace its national identity, especially among the younger generation.
The vessel will be open to the public free of charge between April 9 and 12 despite online reservations which began last month being fully booked.
Members of the public can also learn about Xuelong-2’s research mission in an exhibition at the Hong Kong Science Museum, which will be open to the public for free until June 26.
It will introduce the ecology and natural environment of the polar regions, China's polar research facilities, and efforts made by China and Hong Kong to combat climate change.
A 1:100 scale model of Xue Long 2 and samples of polar life, including Antarctic krill, Antarctic lichen, Clione limacina, and Arctic lanternfly, will be showcased.