The Expedition

The China´s 5th National Arctic Expedition, CHINARE5, is a historic expedition for the history of China's polar exploration. It will be the first time that a Chinese expedition sails through the Arctic through the Northern Sea Route, east of the North Pole.

This will be the fifth national Arctic expedition of China, hence CHINARE5.

CHINARE1:  1. July -   9. September, 1999
CHINARE2: 15. July - 26. September, 2003
CHINARE3:  11. July - 24. September, 2008
CHINARE4: 1. July - 20. September, 2010

The Xuelong starts its scientific expedition from China to Iceland from Shanghai late in June 2012. It will stop in Qingdao and be open for the public before commencing the journey to the Arctic in the beginning of July. When in the Arctic it will make several stops for research in many fields before it stops in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. On the way back it will stop in Akureyri, in the north-east of Iceland, a small town informally known as Iceland's capital of the North where several Arctic-related institutions are located.

Over 60 scientists will be on board, led by Dr. Huigen Yang, Director of the Polar Research Institute of China who is the expedition leader. The chief scientist on board is Dr. Deyi Ma, Director of the First Institute of Oceanography SOA.

The Xuelong will visit Iceland which is a token of the countries newly established Framework Agreement was signed between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Iceland on Arctic Cooperation.