When the Long March-8 rocket soared into the azure sky on Sunday, the mass of spectators on the beach burst out cheering.
Regarded as one of the best open view sites, the beach of Qishui Bay in Longlou, a coastal town of Wenchang City in south China's Hainan Province, attracted tens of thousands of tourists from all over the country.
The small town stepped into the spotlight again as China successfully launched its Long March-8 rocket here on Sunday. More than 40 hotels and guesthouses across the town were fully booked before the launch.
The spacecraft launch has brought a boom to the tourism of Longlou Township, home to 27,000 permanent residents.
The town received over 500,000 tourists in 2021, and many local residents and villagers turned to engage in tourism. The annual per capita disposable income has risen to 19,171 yuan (about 3,032 US. dollars) in 2021 from 5,559 yuan in 2009.
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