CityLab Daily: China’s Space Dreams Boost Nationalism, Local Economies
Also today: Eric Adams is starving NYC’s universal pre-k program, and a Belgian lesson in taming the automobile.
The Long March-7 Y7, a rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, takes off from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan on May 10.
Photographer: Andrea Verdelli/BloombergOn China’s southern island of Hainan, the city of Wenchang is vying to become a space tourism capital. Home to the only visitor-friendly spacecraft launch site for China’s ambitious space program, the city draws crowds of tourists from around the country on rocket launch days, giving rural towns like Longlou a much-needed economic boost. Eateries, hotels and other businesses spring into action on these days, while residential buildings charge hundreds of yuan for visitors to watch the spectacles from their rooftops.
The draw of space tourism has larger implications for China, experts say: Building space into popular culture helps boost patriotism among the public, and solidify popular support for President Xi Jinping’s government. Today on CityLab: How Hainan Is Parlaying Space Tourism Into Populist Support