China Daily photographers Xu Jingxing and Gao Er'qiang spent Wednesday night at Tiemursuhe's yurt on the grasslands of Siziwang (Dorbod) Banner (county) in Inner Mongolia of North China.

Tiemursuhe and his neighbours were proud because they had witnessed the landings of previous Shenzhou missions. They had been sure they would be among the first to see China's first astronaut after he completed his historic mission.

Xu, Gao and the local herdspeople got up about 3:30 am yesterday and set off at about 4:00 am. The local herdspeople took Xu and Gao to a high ground where they could observe what was going on.

Around 6:03 am, "Gao was first to see a comet-like star with a broad bright tail appear in the west,'' Xu recalled. "A few minutes later, the comet disappeared and then we heard a loud sound and saw a parachute flying towards the northeast.''

They immediately set off in a jeep. After driving straight towards the place where the sound came from and across six ranches, Xu and Gao found themselves almost before the landed Shenzhou-V. "There were only three helicopters beside the manned spacecraft,'' said Xu, who, along with Gao, were the first news photographers by the door of the Shenzhou-V.

Xu and Gao saw the door of the spacecraft slowly open, which was then surrounded by several people.

Xu said they watched an army officer seeming to ask Yang Liwei how he felt and they saw Yang nod his head.

When the officer turned away, Xu found a chance to take the first photo of Yang. It was around 6:45 am as Xu's digital camera recorded the moment.

"We were very excited,'' recalled Xu, who was then asked by the security people to move away from the spacecraft and from Yang.

The two China Daily photographers joined the joyful local herdspeople who had arrived at the scene in their droves on motorbikes and in trucks.

From a distance, they watched Yang step out of the spacecraft and sit down in a chair to get comfortable after his landing. His comrades carried him to a nearby vehicle. He walked into the vehicle, where doctors gave him a thorough physical examination.

Coming out the vehicle with his spacesuit changed, Yang walked to the helicopter that was waiting to lift him to a chartered airplane, which would fly him back to Beijing.

Close

Today's Top News		Top National News
+China's debut space mission a 'complete success' ( 2003-10-16) +Astronaut returns safely, manned space mission 'complete success' ( 2003-10-15) +Now that's really a long-distance call! ( 2003-10-16) +China to launch Shenzhou 6 in one or two years ( 2003-10-16) +IT tycoon tops China's 2003 richest list ( 2003-10-16)		+Gas field brings Shanghai more energy ( 2003-10-17) +Ministry pledges positive APEC role ( 2003-10-17) +Two provinces to help keep clean south-to-north diversion scheme ( 2003-10-17) +Cult stops viewers from seeing mission ( 2003-10-17) +President stresses scientific pursuits ( 2003-10-17)