11/10/2026
1984 was the year I first came to the United States. It was also the year China launched its first official national Antarctic research expedition, CHINARE-1. On November 20, 1984, the expedition set sail from Shanghai aboard the research vessel Xiangyanghong 10 and a rescue ship.
Forty-two years later, on November 7, 2026, 中国第 43 次南极科考队起航 (zhōng guó dì sì shí sān cì nán jí kē kǎo duì qǐ háng), China's 43rd Antarctic research expedition departed from Sanya, Hainan, heading south for months of fieldwork on the frozen continent. The fleet includes Xuelong 2, China's domestically built polar research icebreaker.
The expedition has an ambitious scientific agenda. Researchers will study Antarctic ice and ocean conditions, monitor marine ecosystems, maintain and upgrade China's existing research stations, and test new equipment designed for the extreme polar environment.
One important goal is to collect climate data. Antarctica holds valuable records of Earth's climate history, and changes in its ice sheets can affect global sea levels. The team will also conduct astronomical and geophysical observations in one of the world's most remote environments.
The journey is expected to last about five months, with the team scheduled to return in April 2027. This expedition represents another step in China's long-term polar research program and contributes to international efforts to better understand climate change and the Antarctic environment.
This is not just a story about China's Antarctic expedition. It is also a story about curiosity, perseverance, international cooperation, and our responsibility to understand the world we share.
1. Curiosity: The world is much bigger than our everyday lives
Antarctica is far removed from our daily lives, yet its ice, oceans, and climate are connected to the rest of the world. What happens there can affect people living thousands of miles away.
This tells me that the world is full of questions worth exploring, even in places we may never visit. We do not have to experience everything firsthand to develop an interest in it or learn something valuable from it.
I hope my children will remain curious about things beyond their immediate surroundings. There is always something new to discover, and curiosity is often the beginning of learning.
2. Perseverance: Important work requires patience and continuity
Meaningful achievements rarely happen overnight. They often require years of effort, repeated attempts, and the willingness to build on what others have accomplished.
China's Antarctic research program began in 1984. Forty-two years later, scientists are still returning to the continent, asking new questions and continuing work begun by earlier generations.
Each expedition builds on previous research. What one generation discovers becomes a foundation for the next.
3. International cooperation: Science goes beyond national boundaries
What is especially meaningful about this expedition is its international cooperation.
Scientists from different countries may have different backgrounds, work for different institutions, and come from different cultures. Yet they can share a common interest in understanding our planet.
Climate change is not a problem that any one country can fully understand or solve on its own. Studying the Antarctic environment requires observations, knowledge, and cooperation from scientists around the world.
We can have different backgrounds and perspectives while still working toward a common goal.
I hope my children will understand the importance of looking beyond national and cultural differences and learning from people whose experiences may be different from their own.
4. Responsibility: What we learn should help us understand and protect the world
Learning about our planet helps us understand how our actions affect the environment and why protecting it matters.
The more scientists learn about Antarctica, the better we may understand changes in the Earth's climate and the challenges facing future generations.
I hope my children will see learning not only as a way to improve themselves or achieve personal success, but also as a way to understand the consequences of our actions and contribute to the world around them.
Finally,
Reading about China's 43rd Antarctic expedition makes me think about how much of the world remains beyond our everyday experience.
We may never travel to Antarctica, but we can still learn from the people who go there and the questions they are trying to answer.
Most importantly, I hope my children and grandchildren realize that learning is not only about improving ourselves or achieving personal success. It is also about understanding the world we share and finding ways to contribute to it.
The world is much larger than our immediate surroundings. The more we learn about it, the more we realize how much we still have to discover—and how much we can accomplish when we work together.
