China News Service, Hong Kong, Oct. 27 (Reporter Zhao Jianhua) In just over a month, 23 students from City University of Hong Kong will set off from the warm city and head to the icy wilderness of Antarctica to collect environmental, ecological, and other data. Among these brave young people challenging themselves are both local Hong Kong students and those from the mainland who came to Hong Kong for their studies.
On Dec. 14, the students will first fly from Hong Kong to Argentina, then take a ship from there, arriving in Antarctica after just over a day. Once they arrive, the ship they are on will serve as their research base.
During their more than ten days in Antarctica, after each data collection session, they will return to the ship. The next day, they will go ashore again to explore that unfamiliar land.
The students are divided into 14 groups. A trio consisting of Liao Shun from Hunan, Shen Xiaoyan from Shanghai, and Xie Xiuwen from Hong Kong is one of them. All three, currently sophomores at City University of Hong Kong, come from different academic backgrounds. Their diverse skills complement each other well, covering the three stages of data collection, analysis and processing, and presentation.
In this “production chain,” Xie Xiuwen, who studies environmental science, is mainly responsible for the initial data collection; Liao Shun, who studies computer engineering, handles the subsequent data analysis; and Shen Xiaoyan, who studies creative media, uses artistic methods and other means to perfectly present the trio’s exploration findings.
The three students said that in preparation for this Antarctic expedition, they—who were not previously acquainted—have been in constant contact, frequently meeting to discuss and getting along very well.
Previously, they had already completed preparatory tasks together such as microbial sample collection, hiking (long-distance walking) training, and learning first aid. On the 27th, Xie Xiuwen said that next, they plan to find a cold storage warehouse in Hong Kong to learn how to use instruments and equipment in low temperatures, and they will also seek advice from people who have been to Antarctica. The curiosity-inspiring Antarctica attracts these students.
But setting foot in the freezing, high-ultraviolet environment of Antarctica will still be a challenge for these young people. Among the trio, Xie Xiuwen has lived in subtropical Hong Kong since childhood and has never seen real snow; the other two mainland students are also from south of the Qinling-Huaihe line, the traditional geographic boundary between northern and southern China.
But Shen Xiaoyan, the student from Shanghai, said, “It sometimes snows in Shanghai, and I’ve also been to the northeast in winter where the snow is heavy and the weather is very cold. It’s okay, I believe the three of us can handle it when we get to Antarctica.” The only male in the trio, Liao Shun, is even more optimistic—when talking about Antarctica, his eyes are full of longing.