The winter of 2014 in Beijing was exceptionally cold, but for Sheng Faqiang, Chairman of Beijing Toread Outdoor Products Co., Ltd., who had just returned from an Antarctic expedition, such temperatures were nothing compared to the extreme cold of Antarctica. Sheng set off on November 15 of this year, following polar travel experts — the agency “Beauty of the Poles” — on a 16-day classic journey to the Antarctic Peninsula, which concluded on December 1. Upon learning that Sheng had returned to Beijing, reporters paid him a visit, hoping to experience the charm of Antarctica through his words.
16 Days of Experiencing Polar Beauty
As the last discovered continent on Earth and the only one without permanent human settlement, Antarctica is regarded by many as a pristine land, where thousands of square miles are covered in ice and few people venture, offering a breathtakingly stunning beauty. On this classic Antarctic Peninsula journey, Sheng Faqiang followed the Beauty of the Poles team, departing on November 15, transiting through Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and then Ushuaia, before boarding the polar icebreaker cruise ship “Xingzhi Tan Suo” on November 18. The voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula officially began, with visits to the peninsula taking place from the 23rd to the 25th, followed by the return journey.
During the 16-day polar journey, the Xingzhi Tan Suo cruise ship traversed the world-famous roaring Drake Passage, moved through the paradisiacal South Shetland Islands, and faced the spectacular sight of Antarctic sea ice collapsing. Sheng Faqiang, along with the Beauty of the Poles team, captured a series of photographic works along the way. “Life is not short of beauty, but rather a lack of eyes to discover it. The beauty of Antarctica provides a pure and powerful visual impact. Nature communicates with you in a completely different language, making you involuntarily reflect on humanity’s damage to nature and arousing a sense of love and compassion for all living beings. In such an extreme environment, creatures like penguins, seals, cormorants, and terns remain so composed, confident, and endearingly cute. The light and shadows captured through the lens are both a tribute to life and to nature.”
In 2010, Sheng Faqiang arrived in Antarctica as a member of the 27th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition
Aside from investing in Beauty of the Poles, Toread has long-standing ties with Antarctica. In 2009, a director from the Polar Research Institute of China called Sheng Faqiang, informing him that a polar project needed suppliers of clothing and equipment. Having heard of Toread and its excellent reputation, they hoped to establish a partnership. Sheng saw this as a great opportunity, so he immediately contacted relevant staff and quickly engaged in product R&D. On October 9, 2009, the two parties officially signed a cooperation agreement aboard the research vessel “Xue Long” (Snow Dragon), designating Toread as the “Exclusive Product for China’s Antarctic and Arctic Expedition Teams.” In the same year, under the comprehensive protection of Toread outdoor gear, the 26th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition set off for Antarctica and returned successfully. To date, Toread has supported China’s polar scientific expeditions for six consecutive years. On October 30, 2014, the 31st Chinese National Antarctic Scientific Expedition also departed, with Toread continuing to provide close support.
Sheng Faqiang told reporters that all the equipment Toread supplied for the Antarctic expeditions was custom-made. The products customized by Toread for polar expeditions include four major series: “Extreme Cool Series,” “Penguin Series,” “Kunlun Series,” and “Blue Whale Series.” The “Extreme Cool” series is mainly for daily wear by expedition members, used from the departure in China to the research stations and during ceremonies. The “Penguin” series is basic protective clothing, the “Kunlun” series offers the highest level of protection, and the “Blue Whale” series consists of supporting protective gear that complements the other three. Toread has carefully developed these four major polar product series to fully safeguard China’s Antarctic and Arctic expeditions.
Field Research on Polar Products
The newly developed Toread polar boots feature an ice-gripping braking technology and are made with low-temperature-resistant materials, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees Celsius. They offer excellent insulation and waterproof performance.
Antarctica is one of the most extreme environments for testing the performance of outdoor gear. While experiencing the field capabilities of the Beauty of the Poles team, Sheng Faqiang was also very concerned about how Toread products performed in Antarctica. He was pleased to find that whether it was the researchers at the Great Wall Station or his Tsinghua classmates who received Toread clothing sponsorship on this trip, all spoke highly of the warmth, waterproofing, and slip-resistance of Toread footwear and apparel. Sheng said, “The development of polar products places high demands on Toread’s R&D capabilities and product quality control. The fact that we were able to complete this task outstandingly and receive praise from the researchers is due to the enhancement of Toread’s R&D strength — from building hardware facilities like a low-temperature laboratory that can withstand minus 60 degrees Celsius, to talent acquisition within the entire R&D team — which has given us the ability to develop related products.”
This is Sheng Faqiang’s second time setting foot on the Antarctic continent. The previous time was in January 2010 when he joined the 27th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition, which was also the second time Toread provided equipment for the team. The scenes from back then remain vivid in his memory, and he couldn’t help but share with reporters the pride he felt upon first arriving at China’s Great Wall Station.
When talking about the differences between the two trips to Antarctica, Sheng Faqiang put it succinctly: “The last time, the main focus was on researching the usage of Toread products to better improve them, thereby providing comprehensive protection for the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition Team. This time, it was more about personally experiencing the service quality of Beauty of the Poles, while also testing Toread products. To be more precise, this was a process of the ‘Explorer’ experiencing ‘Beauty of the Poles’!”