Over two months after their return from the space, the three Shenzhou-17 astronauts met with the public at the Astronaut Center of China (ACC) in Beijing on Friday, sharing their experiences and feelings during the 187-day stay in space.
Shenzhou-17's return capsule, carrying astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, returned to Earth on April 30, 2024, after blasting off for the Chinese space station on October 26, 2023.
Since setting foot on Earth once again, the crew members went through quarantine and recuperation before they switched to the observation stage. Now the trio are all in good physical and mental shape, and all their medical indicators are normal. Their muscle strength, endurance and cardio functions have recovered to their pre-mission levels, according to the ACC.
After the recovery period, the astronauts will resume their normal training.
"I'm proud of our great motherland. I'm also proud that I have the honor to witness, participate in and experience the leapfrog development of our manned aerospace program. I am pretty lucky to live in a good era," said Tang Hongbo.
"During the six-month stay in space, our crew worked in one mind, and we teamed up with the ground staff in one mind, so we successfully completed all the tasks, regardless of station management, equipment maintenance, extravehicular activities, or scientific experiments. And I have a great sense of accomplishment," said Tang Shengjie.
"After our two extravehicular maintenance missions, the power generation of solar panels was normal. This is the first time that China has completed the maintenance of facilities of an orbiting spacecraft via extravehicular activities, which effectively guarantee the long-term safe and stable operation of the space station," said Jiang Xinlin.
Returned Shenzhou-17 crew meet with public
A group of amateur dragon dance performers from an eastern Chinese county have impressed Spanish audience in late June with a fascinating show inspired by a mythical love story.
Looping and swishing, colorful male and female "dragons" were moved through the stage with poles held by 19 Chinese dancers. Traditional dragon couple dance team from the Changxing County in China's Zhejiang Province crossed tens of thousands of miles to participate in the 37th Jaén International Folk Music and Dance Festival in Spain. This was the only Asian team present at this festival.
"We have been looking forward to bringing a group from Asia for many years. We were offered this team. We didn't hesitate after seeing its quality and the colorful diversity. The performance really exceeded my expectations," said Desiree Amaro, chairman of the festival's organizing committee.
The dance troupe has a total of 28 members. None of them is a professional. They are farmers, teachers, office workers and township officials.
"This performance was a great success. It resonates with the audience, showing their interest in the Chinese dragon. Our Chinese spirit and Chinese story will continue to go global," said Wu Lusheng, director of the Traditional Dance Professional Committee of the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association.
Performing abroad has given the amateur dragon dance team more confidence. There's even better news: In 2023, dragon couple dancing from the village has been listed in the sixth batch of Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage in Zhejiang Province. That means it gets financial support from both the county and the town. Now that more people are joining the team, the ancient custom shall continue to be passed on to the next generation.
The dragon couple dance was born in a small village called Qingcaowu in Changxing County and it has been passed on for more than 100 years. It originated from a romantic Chinese folk tale about a dragon couple who settled in the village and brought a peaceful and prosperous life to the locals. Therefore, villagers will stage the dragon couple dance during traditional festivals to pay tribute to them.
Chinese dragon couple dance wows Spanish spectators
