The Space Travel Park, which is located in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, is unique to its country. It is the largest space-themed park in China. The attraction is among the places recommended for all tourists.
The space park is located on Daguanlu Street, in the eastern part of the city. Its area is approximately twenty-two thousand square metres. There are about a dozen special areas and pavilions, in which models of spaceships and other vehicles are presented.
Most of the exhibits are models of spacecraft. But there are also real models that have already been in space. Among the most famous originals is the Shenzhou-2 camera of the first unmanned spacecraft created in China. Its launch from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome took place in January 2001. The vehicle spent seven days in space before returning to Earth.
Another famous exhibit is the Changzheng-3 launch vehicle. It is another example of Chinese space manufacturing. "Changzheng-3" belongs to the third class of three-stage launch vehicles. Changzheng, which means "great campaign" in Russian, was named in honour of the legendary campaign of the Chinese Communist Army in 1934.
Foreign models are also represented at the park. There is also the legendary Russian Soyuz, which once acted as a model for a Chinese analogue. The most successful launch vehicle of our time is easily recognisable by its head fairing and the four conical blocks characteristic only for it.
Between the Russian and Chinese giants sits the third celebrity - the American shuttle Space Shuttle. The only reusable spacecraft. Although this specimen has never been used for space flight.
It cost about two hundred million yuan (about $33 million) to build the Space Travel Park. The project not only had an entertainment purpose, but was also designed to popularise the Chinese space industry. In addition, the park serves as an educational centre.
