How Hainan Is Parlaying Space Tourism Into Populist Support

Eight stories above the sidewalks of Longlou, a small rural town in Wenchang on the southern island of Hainan, about 80 tourists from different Chinese provinces gathered on the top of an apartment building on the evening of May 10.

The crowd, including several families with young children and teenagers, was there to see the launch of the Long March-7 Y7, a rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft bound for the nation’s Tiangong space station.

Children waved Chinese flags and adults recorded the hustle and bustle on their mobile phones. Some paid 500 yuan ($70) just to get access to the rooftop, which offers one of the best views of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site three kilometers away.

“I’ll be an astronaut, or the commander who counts for the launch, in the future!” David Chen, a 14-year-old student from Guangzhou, said after watching the rocket launch. “It’s such a fantastic experience,” he said as he waved the national flag. “I want to do something for my country!”

Wenchang (population 560,000), with its palm tree-lined main drag and scrappy-looking beach, is vying to become China’s space tourism capital. It’s one of several launch sites for China’s ambitious space program, and the only one that’s easily accessible to visitors.

From something of a late start, China has notched up an impressive series of achievements, becoming the first nation to land a craft on the far side of the moon in 2019 and landing a rover on Mars in 2021. It’s also the only country operating its own space station. (China completed the construction of Tiangong, or Sky Palace, in November, realizing a plan first approved in 1992. The space station’s operational phase began with a first crew handover late last year.)

The country is now moving ahead with new plans, including the deployment of thousands of low-earth orbit satellites to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation as well as several lunar missions intended to culminate with Chinese astronauts landing on the moon. China also has many ambitious startups with plans to build out the country’s private-sector rocket and satellite capabilities.

All that activity is making this northeastern Hainan coast region the Chinese version of Cape Canaveral, a destination for tourists who want to witness space history.

Longlou is usually a sleepy area whose muddy roads are dotted with minimarts, a handful of restaurants and empty commercial stores waiting to be leased. But during rocket launch days, eateries, hotels and other businesses spring into action, with hairdressers offering rocket-shaped buzzcuts and impromptu stalls appearing to hawk space snow globes and plastic astronauts.

At these times, residential buildings can charge hundreds of yuan for one visitor to go up to watch the spectacle. A no-frills hotel with rooms that usually cost 250 yuan a night can easily charge more than 1,000 yuan.

“It helps the business a lot,” said Edward Yan, the general manager of the five-star Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Wenchang, a 343-room hotel located about a 45-minute drive from the launch site. The hotel was fully booked for May 10, during what’s otherwise a slow period.

All of Yan’s staff members are knowledgeable about the launch, steering hapless tourists in the right direction and answering any questions they may have. “This is a great moment and wonderful moment to the country,” Yan says, beaming. “I believe all the Chinese are very proud of it, that is why they all like to personally participate.”

National brands are trying to capitalize on the tourist interest, too. Master Kang, the popular brand of instant noodles made by an affiliate of Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp., is organizing visits to Wenchang for lucky-draw winners while travel provider Ctrip is offering two types of tours, one for Chinese nationals, which includes a visit to a science exhibition hall, and another for people content to watch from the roof of an apartment building, and get a free rocket toy.

Last year there were at least five launches from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, with another five or so likely this year. And business is forecast to pick up even more, since the government intends for the region to also become a hub for commercial launches by China’s growing number of private-sector space companies.

There are bigger implications beyond the potential for local firms, though.

Liu Feng, a Hainan Normal University professor who studies economic policy, agrees, noting aerospace is a strategic industry for China whose importance is growing amid intensifying geopolitical tensions.

“Space-themed tourism is an effective way to promote the country’s achievements and boosts patriotism among the public,” Liu said. “Space tourism is particularly attractive and effective among the young generations, including children and teenagers. And Hainan’s rich natural resources, such as beaches and forests, can be easily combined with the rocket launch in Wenchang to make a compelling tourism package.”

Indeed, many locals are seeing this influx of tourists as a golden money-making opportunity at time when the post-pandemic economic recovery remains uncertain.

“I’ve noticed one thing, especially for families, is that kids want to see rockets so parents say ‘OK, let’s go to Wenchang and watch’,” said Fu Ye, who operates a co-working and co-living space in town. “One hostel owner told me she can easily earn 200,000 yuan a year just based on this rocket launch project.”