China National Space Administration (CNSA) held a special lunar sample hand-over ceremony on Saturday in Shaoshan, Central China's Hunan Province — the birthplace of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Saturday, one day ahead of the 128th anniversary of Mao's birth.

The samples delivered to Shaoshan on Saturday were part of the lunar dust and soil retrieved by China's Chang'e-5 moon probe and successfully returned to Earth in 2020, with the Saturday event marking the launch of the back-up storage base for lunar samples for the country's lunar exploration project in Shaoshan.

The CNSA said in a statement it provided to the Global Times that it is a common practice to set up similar storage base for lunar samples as it helps ensure the long term safety for the lunar samples and avoid impact from extreme events such as natural disasters. 

Speaking at the event, Zhang Kejian, the CNSA chief stressed that storing lunar samples Shaoshan represents the deep respects and thoughts toward the late Chinese leader and his great achievement to the Chinese people and the whole world and it also answers to Chairman Mao's great vision of "We can bring down the moon from the Ninth Heaven" by fully demonstrating the innovation and progress of China's space program.

Zhang also said that he hoped the Shaoshan base would attract more science research institutes, high-tech firms and college and universities to join the moon and asteroid probe projects, advancing the country's aerospace development.

The construction of the country's only storage base for lunar sample back-up in Shaoshan was approved in 2014 and passed certification by November 2021, according to the CNSA. 

On the same day last year, December 25, 2020, Shaoshan also received reentry capsule of Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft, and the craft would be exhibited in the local Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Museum, the only one in the country that thoroughly displays Chairman Mao's life, deeds, thoughts and character. 

Since the lunar exploration program was officially approved, six exploration missions have been completed. 

The Chang'e-5 mission was the most complicated systemic space project undertaken by China to do, leveraging a sophisticated set of technologies. On December 17, 2020, the return capsule of the Chang'e-5 probe brought back the country's first samples from an extraterrestrial body, laying a strong foundation for China's future lunar and planetary exploration.