China opens fifth Antarctic research station

China's Qinling Station in Antarctica, the country's fifth research station on the continent, started operation on Wednesday.　

Qinling station is able to operate all year, hosting up to 80 people in the summertime and 30 during wintertime.　

The new facility, constructed on the rocky, windswept Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea of the Antarctic, utilizes an integrated spatial system and green technology given the unique environmental conditions at the site.　

The station has an area of 5,244 square meters and an external shape resembling the Southern Cross constellation, a unique design to honor Zheng He, a legendary Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) admiral, mariner and diplomat.　

Engineers used lightweight, high-strength materials on the station, making it able to resist temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius　and the corrosive environment on the island.　

(Reported by Cao Xufan; Edited by Jiang Lu)