China's first homegrown polar icebreaker starts its maiden voyage

China's polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, departs from the Shekou cruise home port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2019. China's first domestically made polar icebreaker Xuelong 2 started its maiden voyage to the Antarctic from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen Tuesday. Xuelong 2 set sail on the country's 36th Antarctic expedition. Another icebreaker named Xuelong will also join the expedition, making it the first time that two polar icebreakers work together on China's Antarctic expedition. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)