On January 17, 2024, the Long March-7 Y8 carrying the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was successfully launched. A growing number “space fans” come to Wenchang, Hainan Province, the seat of China the youngest spaceport, to see the rockets and the city space tourism is becoming more and more popular. The 2,100-year-old city in the northeast of Hainan Island is becoming “China’s version of Cape Canaveral.”
In recent years, Wenchang has been actively exploring the “aerospace +” model for tourism development. Facilities such as coastal B&Bs and local farmhouses have been built in response to the trend and aerospace tourism the city is already taking shape. When rocket launches and tropical island scenery combine perfectly, the former hometown of overseas Chinese has undergone massive changes – becoming a well-known destination for aerospace coastal tourism in China.
Wenchang attracted many young photographers to “chase missiles” whenever there was a launch. According to them, this is the closest to space that ordinary people can get. “No matter how many times I watch a rocket launch, I am always deeply moved to tears,” said space photographer and Northwest Minzu University sophomore Tang Muzhi. He added that he hopes his photos will bring more attention and love to space.
Zhang Zuoxing, also a photography enthusiast, wanted to share this mind-blowing experience with more people and created “Walking at 20”, a youth travel organization, after graduating from university in 2020 with his friends. They aim to provide exciting travel and social opportunities for young people. “Wenchang Rocket Chasing Tour” has become the best product of the company. Watching rockets in the gentle sea breeze has become a must-do experience for many tourists in Wenchang.
According to Ye Sheng, in charge of Longlou City, Wencheng, which has a population of only 27,000 people, it turns out that they have received more than 1.5 million tourists in the past two years because of the space industry. More than 9,000 jobs have been created and the aerospace tourism industry has achieved a 15 percent annual revenue increase. The local people have benefited greatly as more and more space-themed cultural and tourist activities take place there. Their door to the outside world is truly open, bringing in new knowledge and understanding.
“During important holidays and performances, we are always fully booked,” said Yu Zhuo, who runs Wenchang Ruoyuan Yuanshe B&B. Take the launch of the Wentian Lab Cabin Module in July 2022 as an example, this single event brought more than 200,000 tourists to Longlu City, creating a boom in demand for hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and other related services. Some hotels even achieved record revenues of over one million yuan in one day.
Thanks to the space industry, a very distinctive tourism sector is booming, supporting local B&B businesses, farm stays, recreational fishing, sightseeing industries, science tours and more tourist offers. At the same time, aerospace communities, aerospace schools, aerospace markets and other supporting facilities are also gradually improving.
The rocket launches not only led to a “tourism frenzy” in Wenchang and improved the living standards of local residents, but also led to the transformation of the city’s industrial system.
As the only commercial launch site in China, the Hainan Launch Site is the main infrastructure project of Wenchang International Aerospace City, which will be able to launch regularly in 2024. So far, the public aerospace science and innovation platforms, such as the satellite assembly and testing plant , the rocket assembly plant and the aerospace supercomputing center have been completed and are being phased in.
Liu Chong, mayor of Wenchang, said that Wenchang will gradually form its industrial advantage based on the commercial space industry, accelerate the construction of the industrial system of “three chains” (missile chain, satellite chain and data chain) and “aerospace + “, while continuing to drive the transformation and upgrading of traditional profitable industries such as Wenchang chicken, coconuts and fisheries.
It can be predicted that the “aerospace craze” based on the “aerospace effect” will cause more industries to gather and grow in Wenchang, and China’s commercial aerospace industry will usher in a brilliant new chapter in the future.
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
