China's fourth Antarctic research station is almost complete, after team members finally installed the walls of the Taishan Station on Monday. But construction has been hampered over the past month by harsh weather.

For the team building the Taishan Antarctic research station, much of their time is spent waiting.

"We have to wait for days without snow storms. Anything that touches my face immediately turns into ice." Zhou Ling, Antarctic Scientific Research Team, said.

Even on relatively clear days, temperatures in the Antarctic hover down around minus-20 degrees Celsius, not to mention the fiercely cold winds. And with the station's 12-meter-high roof out of the crane's reach, construction often requires team members to perform a difficult balancing act.

"It's slippery on the steel beams, which are like ski slopes. We have to make sure our safety belts are on tight." Zhou said.

The wall is made of a series of panels, each weighing roughly 50 kilograms.

And when the icy weather leaves the machinery and tools frozen, manual labor is often the only option.

The Taishan station is designed to look like a traditional Chinese lantern. Construction on it began in December last year. And its steel frame was completed in mid-January. The main building is expected to be completed by early February. Once finished, it will be able to house as many as 20 people.

It will be used as a scientific research station during the Antarctic summers, lasting from December to March. Teams based there will provide logistical support and study the area's geology, glaciers, geo-magnetism and atmosphere.