China mulls post office in Antarctica

China, active in exploring the Antarctic region, is mulling opening up a post office in the icy continent, the state media reported Thursday.

Three trial mail operations have been held so far, and the fourth trail mail will leave Beijing for Antartica on February 4.

This is the first time in the past two decades that mail from China has been delivered to the southernmost continent, said Chi Tao, an official with the Beijing International Post Office's trial service.

The post office will send an official to the Changcheng (Great Wall) Station in Antarctica to investigate whether it is necessary to set up a post office there, he said.

If

it is needed, the post office is expected to open early this year, making it possible for mail delivered at any post office in Beijing to reach Antarctica, Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

The mail will travel 17,051 km to the Changcheng Station of China via Chile. Each piece of mail weighing 20 grams or less will cost seven yuan (84 US cents). Due to freezing weather Antarctica, the mail route will be opened only during summer there, said Chi.

In another first, on January 18, a 12-member Chinese expedition became the first humans to scale the highest icecap peak in Antarctica, Dome A Icecap 4,  which is 4,093 meters above sea level.