China's largest-ever oceanographic research and training vessel, the Zhong Shan Da Xue, has been officially put into use after it docked in its home port of Gaolan in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province, on Sunday.

(Photo: Xinhua)

The vessel has a displacement of 6,880 tons and is capable of sailing anywhere with a range of 15,000 nautical miles. It has a lab space of nearly 720 square meters and can hold as many as 100 crew on board.

It is expected to embark on its first scientific expedition, in the South China Sea, next week. The expedition is intended to provide data and studies to support the ecological protection and development of the region.

Construction of the vessel was approved by the Ministry of Education in June 2016, and began in October 2019. It was named Zhong Shan Da Xue after its developer Sun Yat-sen University and entered the water last August.

(Compiled by Li Bowen)