Reduce carbon footprint in Antarctica

Zhang Zhengwang, professor from Beijing Normal University specializing in ornithology, was with Xie during the expedition.

"The last time I visited Antarctica was 20 years ago," Zhang recalls. "The number of people who visited Antarctica has dramatically increased during the years. The Great Wall Scientific Exploratory Station received less than 100 visitors back in the 1990s. In 2013, the station received more than 2, 000 visitors."

Xie says tourism is probably the biggest pollution contributor in Antarctica. While tourists are mostly from the US and European countries, the number of Chinese visitors are also increasing. Chinese tourists are the fifth largest group of visitors in the world to Antarctica.

Xie has been posting his experience in Antarctica through social communications platform Wechat during his stay in Antarctica. He says he registered the account only a few months prior to his Antarctic journey so that he could share stories and ideas during his days there. Through Wechat, he hopes to garner more support to better protect Antarctica.

"I used to spend at least one hour a day on Wechat, deciding on the right words and phrases to use before posting on my moments. It was challenging because the Internet connection on the exploration station is erratic," he says. "But I soon got a good grasp of it."

Xie says reading friends' comments became one of the greatest joys during his days there.

"Because in Antarctica, you basically don't meet anyone besides the team members," he says. "Tough conditions such as freezing weather and no fresh fruits and vegetables are not the biggest issues. Loneliness is."