People greet China's research icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, at a base dock in Shanghai, east China, April 8, 2025. China's research icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday, marking the completion of key missions in the country's 41st Antarctic expedition, according to a press conference held on Tuesday. The expedition involves 516 members from 118 domestic and international institutions and is being carried out by three vessels. The cargo ship Yong Sheng returned to China in January, while the research icebreaker Xuelong 2 remains on mission in the Ross Sea and is expected to return to Shanghai in June. Xuelong completed a 159-day journey covering over 27,000 nautical miles, from its departure from Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Nov. 1, 2024, to its arrival on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiansong)