The Chinese exploration ship Snow Dragon left the Great Wall Station in western Antarctica on Monday for a refueling stop in Argentina.

The Snow Dragon, or Xuelong, which arrived at the station Thursday, brought more than 2,300 tons of supplies and oil to the facility on the southern tip of King George Island.

After the ship finished unloading its cargo early Monday, leaders of the Chinese Antarctica exploration team visited nearby facilities, including Chile's Freldes Radio Station, and Russia's Bellingshausen Station.

Foreign researchers also visited the Snow Dragon, where they were treated to a simple banquet Monday evening.

The Snow Dragon, with more than 170 scientists and crew members on board, was expected to arrive in Argentina's southern coastal city of Ushuaia in about 40 hours.

The vessel was to return to the Great Wall Station on November 22 and then sail to China's Zhongshan Station, located south of PrydzBay on the Mirror Peninsula.

China has conducted yearly expeditions to Antarctica since its first trip there in 1984.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2009)