On April 15, upon the university’s 96th anniversary, research vessel Tan Kah Kee (R/V TKK) was officially delivered to XMU by Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), followed by the first Open House. Thousands of locals in Xiamen visited the new ship.
Since XMU signed the preliminary design contract with Glosten in May 2012, the past five years have witnessed major milestones on the pace to design and build R/V TKK.
R/V TKK is one of the most advanced and versatile oceanographic research vessels in China. XMU, as the owner, possesses the full intellectual property right of her one-of-a-kind design. Thanks to the enormous contributions and donations from alumni and friends at home and aboard, this century-long dream of “XMU at Sea” could finally come true.
Visitors from all walks of life explored the bridge, labs, and working decks on the vessel. Everything is new for them, from the 2’×2’ tiny bolt-down grids to the bulky Stern A-frame. Some visitors said that they were completely immersed in the amazing tour.
On the same day, the vessel was also officially enrolled in China Marine Research Vessels. Along with other Chinese vessels, R/V TKK will sail in the infinitely deep blue oceans to promote integrated and collaborated scientific progress of ocean sciences.
