China's first self

(ECNS) -- China's first self-developed icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, is expected to pay a special visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, starting from April 8, 2024 and lasting for five days, according to a press conference on Friday.

The vessel will receive 3,000 visitors from April 9 through 12 during the public visit event on an average of 500 to 1,000 daily visitors. Top scientists from China's 40th Antarctic expedition team aboard the research vessel will also arrive in Hong Kong.

Xuelong 2 is China's fourth polar research vessel with a total length of 122.5 meters, a designed displacement of nearly 14,000 metric tons and a total installed power of 23.2 megawatts. It is the world's first icebreaker with two-way ice-breaking and 360-degree free rotation technologies.

The vessel, which conducted China's 40th Antarctic research mission, has headed back to China from the Qinling Station recently.