Great Wall Station (Antarctica)

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, 960 km from Cape Horn. It is sited on ice-free rock, about 10 m above sea level.

The station is about 2.5 km from the Chilean Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva. A 3 km long unpaved road, Zhongzhi Gonglu, provides convenient vehicle access from the station to Frei, Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport and Bellingshausen Station. 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 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, 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 175 sqm. It marks the beginning of China’s presence in Antarctica and its Antarctic research program.

In 2012, the Antarctic Treaty System designated two sites at the station as Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica following nominations by China: a monolith erected to commemorate the establishment of the station and the station's No.1 Building.