Christchurch, New Zealand got a rare treat recently as China’s cutting-edge Xuelong 2 (Snow Dragon 2) icebreaker docked in Lyttelton Harbor. Over 600 curious visitors—from local officials to schoolkids—flocked aboard to explore this polar research powerhouse.  

A true homemade triumph, the 122.5-meter-long Xuelong 2 is China’s first domestically built icebreaker, crushing through 1.5-meter-thick ice like a hot knife through butter since its 2019 debut. With room for 90 scientists plus crew, it’s a floating lab built for the planet’s iciest frontiers.  

The visit wasn’t just for show—Chinese and Kiwi researchers huddled onboard for a lively Antarctic science summit, swapping insights on everything from deep-sea creatures to climate clues locked in polar ice.  

After a warm Kiwi welcome (and quick pit stop to swap crew and supplies), the mighty Snow Dragon 2 charged southward—back to the Ross Sea for China’s 41st Antarctic mission, proving science knows no borders.