Qinling Station

Qinling Station is an Antarctic research station operated by the Polar Research Institute of China. It is situated on the southern edge of Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay, Scott Coast, Victoria Land, on the Ross Sea coast of East Antarctica.

Design
The station has an area of 5244 m2, and is in the shape of the Southern Cross, honouring Zheng He, an admiral and diplomat during the Ming Dynasty.

History
The station first broke ground in 2018, but construction was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 7 February 2024, Qinling Station was officially opened by the People's Republic of China. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, an American think tank, reported that the station was expected to include an observatory with a satellite ground station, and that the equipment could be used to collect signals intelligence and for tracking rockets launched from the Arnhem Space Centre in Australia. China rejected claims that the station would be used for espionage.