From July 15 to 16, President Bao Xinhe academician and his entourage arrived at the astronomical observation base of Saishiteng Mountain in Lenghu, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai for investigation and research. Secretary of the Party Group of the Standing Committee of the Haixi Prefecture People’s Congress, Director Rang-Tai Cai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group of the Management Committee of the Lenghu Science and Technology Innovation Industrial Park, Executive Deputy Director Cai-Rang Tian, accompanied by the research and investigation, the Ministry of Scientific Research, the School of Physics and other relevant responsible comrades to participate in the investigation and research activities.
Xinhe Bao and his entourage focused on the construction of the 2.5-meter aperture Merton Space Telescope jointly developed by the University of Science and Technology of China - Purple Mountain Observatory, which is located on the C platform (4200 meters above sea level). Prof. Xu Kong of the School of Physics, chief designer of the WFST, reported in detail the development progress of the telescope and the construction of the telescope observation building. Cai-Rang Tian, after the completion of the Wide Field Survey Telescope will become the northern hemisphere optical time-domain survey the strongest ability of the equipment, is to build a world-class astronomical observation base and astronomical research and study center of the key support projects, can greatly enhance the influence of Haixi Prefecture in the country and even the whole world, drive the economic and social development of Haixi Prefecture. Xinhe Bao emphasized that the telescope construction units should strengthen coordination and cooperation, accelerate the progress of telescope installation and commissioning, complete the telescope project construction tasks in quality and quantity, and strive to start the trial observation at the end of August, and achieve breakthrough results in the fields of time-domain astronomy, search for solar system astronomical objects, and near-field cosmology as early as possible, so as to better serve the astronomical observation bases and the economic and social development of the local community.
Xinhe Bao and his entourage also visited the scientists' workstation of the astronomical observation base on Mountain Saishiteng, which is under construction. Cai-Rang Tian introduced in detail the development plan of the astronomical observation base, the overall progress at the present stage, the astronomical observation equipment project under negotiation and the later construction plan. Xinhe Bao highly affirmed the significance of the establishment of the scientists' workstation, and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the people’s government of Haixi Prefecture and the management committee of Lenghu Science and Technology Park for their important contributions to the discovery of high-quality astronomical observing resources in Lenghu, the construction of Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base, and the construction of the Wide Field Survey Telescope Infrastructure Project.