China is dispatching its 25th scientific research team to Antarctica to set up the country's first inland station on the southernmost continent.

The 204-member team will set out from Shanghai on Monday.

The sation, called Kunlun, will also be the country's third base on Antarctica. It will be located seven kilometers southwest of Dome A, the highest ice cap on the South Pole at more than 4,000 meters above sea level.

Li Yuansheng, a member of the team, explains the reason for building the station there.

"This expedition is quite significant for astronomical observation work. In some aspects, the conditions there can be close to that of space station. We can use a large-sized telescope there."

The team will conduct 45 scientific research projects, including collecting ice samples at Dome A regions and fundamental mapping.

Most of the Kunlun station will be completed early next year.