Wenchang Space Launch Site 文昌航天发射场

About Wenchang Space Launch Site

A rocket launch can be watched from parts of the coast when officials allow access; a June 2026 field report describes international visitors at Qishui Bay. That does not establish eligibility for an internal base tour. Schedules, road controls and weather can change, so build a flexible Longlou visit around confirmed arrangements.

Construction of the site was approved in August 2007 and began on 14 September 2009, under the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The first phase was completed in October 2014, the first launch took place on 25 June 2016, and it was formally named the China Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site (中国文昌航天发射场) shortly before the Long March 5 rocket's debut launch on 3 November 2016.

The launch site sits on the South China Sea coast at roughly 19 degrees north, China's first coastal launch site and one of the few low-latitude sites worldwide; the low latitude lets rockets gain extra speed from the Earth's rotation, and the coastal position lets spent stages fall over the sea rather than land. Sea access also removed the rail-transport size limit that once restricted Chinese rocket components to 3.35 metres in diameter, making this the only Chinese site able to launch rockets 5 metres across.

The site currently launches mainly Long March 5 and Long March 7 series rockets, carrying geosynchronous satellites, space-station modules and cargo craft, and deep-space probes. Recent launches have included the Tianwen-1 planetary mission, the Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 lunar missions, and the three modules of the Tiangong space station. As the site expands it is also expected to launch the Long March 10 series for crewed lunar missions.

What to look for

• The space-industry setting around Longlou and its public visitor facilities.
• Launch views from an officially permitted coastal location when a launch is confirmed.

The surrounding area

A separate northeastern city area for Puqian, chicken and coconut-growing coastal landscapes.

Location & getting there

Getting to Wenchang Space Launch Site

Travel to Longlou town and use the current official public viewing arrangements, such as permitted areas around Qishui Bay. Do not use the launch facility gate as an ordinary tourist entrance.