Lunar samples for backup stored in Chairman Mao's home city

CHANGSHA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- A handover ceremony of Chang'e-5 lunar samples, used for backup storage, was held Saturday in Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province, which is also the home city of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The samples, brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe, were handed over to Hunan University by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and will be stored in the newly constructed base, the country's sole one dedicated to lunar sample backup storage.

The lunar samples collected by China for the first time is a significant accomplishment jointly achieved by tens of thousands of sci-tech workers, said Zhang Kejian, head of the CNSA.

Storing the lunar samples in Chairman Mao's hometown is a profound tribute to his contributions to the Chinese nation and the people of the world, and it honors his long-cherished dream of reaching the moon, Zhang said.