Beijing welcomes China´s space pioneer

cctv.com 10-16-2003 13:55

After a tiring day in Space, China's first taikonaut, Yang Liwei, touched down safely this morning in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Three hours later, Yang Liwei flew back to Beijing where he got a rapturous welcome from his proud countrymen and women.

After hours on a military plane, China's first astronaut Yang Liwei landed at the Xijiao Military Airport in western Beijing. Greeting him were the commander of the Shenzhou mission, General Li Jinai and his entourage.

Yang and the ground staff drove back tens of thousands of people lined up the street to welcome the hero back. At the Aerospace City in northwest Beijing, he was treated with a fanfare of drum and gong playing, as well as dances and smiles. His comrades, who watched him complete the unprecedented national feat in space, were the most excited by his return.

Director of Beijing Space Command and Control Center Xi Zheng said:" I was very excited seeing Yang Liwei walk out of the spacecraft in very good physical and mental condition. Excitement is best way to describe my first impression. At the same time, I felt tired. Because all the people here in the center have worked hard for nearly eight years. We feel proud of our job as it fulfills a dream of our nation."

Yang Liwei is a national hero today. As the first Chinese man in space, he become an overnight celebrity. And if tens of millions of people already see him as symbol of China's latest achievement, that number can only grow in the future.

Editor:Su  Source:CCTV.com