With the recent successful launch of the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft and return of the Shenzhou-17 crew, China's booming space culture has sparked a surge in tourism at the Dongfeng Aerospace City in north China, the nation's earliest launch site equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
During the five-day May Day holiday starting on Wednesday, tourists from central and eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Beijing are flocking to this aerospace city at the boundary between Jiuquan city in the northwestern province of Gansu and the Ejin Banner in Inner Mongolia, which includes the famous Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
"The passenger flow through our station is expected to increase by more than 40 percent than usual, with over 70 percent of the passengers proceeding to the Dongfeng Aerospace City to experience space culture firsthand," said Meng Qingguo, deputy head at Ejin Banner Station.
The spike in tourist volume has prompted quick responses from transportation authorities. At Ejin Banner Station, additional staff have been mobilized at key positions to speed up the ticket checking process and enhance service center efficiency for tourists' convenience.
To accommodate the increase in travelers, six additional trains are now operating on the route from Hohhot to Ejin Banner.
"I'd like to take advantage of this holiday to go to the Dongfeng Aerospace City for a field trip. Now, it's convenient for us to travel there by train. From Hohhot, we can arrive there after just a few hours of sleep," said Duan Yuxuan, a tourist.
"The trains themselves are decorated with space-themed items, creating an immersive atmosphere. Railroaders provide essential information about the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and facilitate connections with the reception centers ahead of time, significantly saving time for us," said Sun Jingbo, a tourist.
Families, students and space enthusiasts are driving the boom in space culture-related tourism. At key attractions such as the manned space launch site and historical exhibition hall of this launch center, tourists engage closely with space culture by taking photos and learning about the site's history.
"I was impressed when seeing the successful launch of Shenzhou-18 on television. My family and I took the train from Ulanqab, which is conveniently connected by the increased train services on this route," said Liu Xiaohuan, a tourist.
The Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on April 25 to send three taikonauts to China’s orbiting Tiangong space station for a six-month mission. Five days later, the Shenzhou-17 crew returned to Earth and landed at the Dongfeng landing site after completing their mission.
Tourism booms at China's aerospace city amid space culture fervor
