NANJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- China's first Mars rover has been named Zhurong, announced the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Saturday, China's Space Day.
Zhurong is the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology, which echoes with the Chinese name of the red planet, Huoxing (meaning the planet of fire in Chinese).
Fire brought warmth and brightness to the ancestors of mankind, and fire lit up human civilization. Naming China's first Mars rover after the god of fire signifies igniting the flame of China's planetary exploration, according to Wu Yanhua, vice administrator of the CNSA.
Literally, Zhu (meaning wish in Chinese) expresses the good wishes for mankind's exploration of the universe. Rong (meaning integration and cooperation in Chinese) reflects China's vision of the peaceful use of space and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Wu said.
The name is another example of Chinese aerospace workers' scientific romance after they have named spacecraft, including Tianwen, Chang'e and Beidou, after Chinese traditional culture, which also shows the Chinese people's spirit of exploration and cultural confidence, he said. Enditem
