China releases latest findings from 2nd Qinghai-Xizang Plateau scientific expedition

China's second Qinghai-Xizang Plateau scientific expedition has yielded significant practical outcomes, with its top 10 application achievements officially released on Wednesday in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

The achievements span critical areas including ecological conservation, disaster prevention, resource exploration, carbon accounting, traffic safety, and border area development.

Notable results include scientific support for legislation on plateau ecological protection, establishment of a platform for Earth observation and early warning, and innovative technologies for disaster prevention and control in permafrost regions, aiding major infrastructure projects like the Sichuan-Xizang Railway and expressways.

The plateau is currently exhibiting a trend of warming, wetting and "greening" that amplifies both regional and global climate impacts, noted Yao Tandong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was also found that the water supply capacity of the "Asian Water Tower" has significantly risen, with runoff projections showing increases of up to 49 percent by the end of the century, crucial for water security for billions.

Since its launch in August 2017, the second expedition led by Yao has mobilized over 3,000 research teams and more than 30,000 personnel, conducting comprehensive surveys across the entire plateau region.

China releases latest findings from 2nd Qinghai-Xizang Plateau scientific expedition

An art exhibition featuring 80 pieces of paintings by teenagers was held simultaneously on Wednesday aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station, which is orbiting about 400 kilometers above Earth, and at the Capital Museum in Beijing.

The artworks, themed "Role Models in My Heart," were displayed and introduced by the Shenzhou-21 crew, comprised of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, during their mission aboard the space station.

The event launched its call for entries in July 2025, selecting 80 paintings from a pool of over 15,000 submissions from teens across the country. On October 31, the selected works were sent to the Chinese space station aboard the Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft.

It is the fifth painting exhibition held aboard the Tiangong space station.

Additionally, the offline exhibition at the Capital Museum brings together works displayed during the first five editions of the exhibition, making it the first comprehensive showcase of all five collections. The exhibition will run until May 24.

Art exhibition held aboard China's Tiangong space station, in Beijing museum