It was close to midnight on Tuesday when British travel blogger John Michael Chapman, 48, scanned the Wenchang Yaoguang rocket launch observation deck in Wenchang, Hainan province, scouting for the perfect spot. He took selfies and videos with his phone and sent them to his son back home while waiting for "the moment".
Minutes later, at 12:16 am on Wednesday, a modified Long March 7 carrier rocket, carrying a new communication technology test satellite, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site and tore through the night sky, its tail flame turning darkness into daylight. The ground shook. The crowd erupted in cheers.
For most people, the idea of a perfect tropical getaway conjures up images of sandy beaches and swaying palms. But for Chapman and thousands of others like him, Wenchang's seaside offers a different thrill: watching a rocket take to the sky with an earsplitting roar.
"I am a 48-year-old man, and I feel like a little boy at the moment," Chapman said after watching the rocket launch. "My son, everyone's sons and daughters, we all dream of space travel. It's this magical thing."
On social media, searches for "rocket" and "aerospace" have surged. In April alone, more than 3 million users engaged with such topics on Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, or Red Note.
What was once a rare spectacle is more routine and accessible now, fueling a lifestyle passion.
People drive miles to the site even on weekdays, camp on beaches until midnight and aim telephoto lenses at the launch tower.
Wenchang, on Hainan's northeast coast, is China's only coastal space launch site and home to the nation's sole commercial space launch base. The site now hosts launches nearly every month.
During the Wednesday launch, a group of 24 people, including travel journalists and social media influencers from Europe, watched from the viewing platform, while nearby Qishui Bay Beach was also packed.
The launch site now boasts over 150 hotels and homestays, and occupancy rates during launches often top 95 percent. More than 5,000 residents have found jobs or extra income tied to space tourism, said Zhu Ying, a homestay operator.
French social media influencer Jean-Bernard Corazzi was awestruck after witnessing a rocket launch for the first time on Wednesday. "I think it's a good idea to link the two — space technology and tourism," he said.
The destination now offers more than just a momentary spectacle. Visitors can tour the Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Center to learn how satellites collect data and how that information is transmitted, processed and applied to sectors such as agriculture and transportation. The center and other venues aim to turn "launch watching" into a full-day science immersion experience.
For Celestino Guerra Ng, a freshman at the Academy of Public Security Forces of China's Macao Special Administrative Region, the view of both the operational and new launchpads left a deep impression."Next time I will choose a daytime launch to enjoy the coconut groves in the foreground," he said, adding that he will share his experience back in Macao.
For British blogger Chapman, the moment was pure wonder. But like many of the new "rocket chasers", he also appreciated what came after the launch: quiet beaches, fresh coconut water and the easy rhythm of tropical Hainan.
The rocket is the adrenaline. The island is the calm. And in Wenchang, travelers no longer have to choose.
