Would You Travel to Watch a Rocket Launch? China’s Space Tourism Story

Aadhya Tibrewal, Jadetimes Staff

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Visitors watch a rocket launch from coastal Hainan, China. Picture source: CNN — Hainan’s Space Tourism.

Some people travel for concerts or sporting events, while others want to witness a rocket launch. Near Wenchang’s launch site on Hainan island, China, visitors gather along the coast to watch missions begin. Reuters described these crowds in its reporting on the area. A coastal holiday can therefore include something visitors would normally experience through a screen.

This form of space tourism means watching from the ground, rather than travelling aboard a spacecraft. Visitors observe a mission from an authorised location. The attraction includes waiting with others and seeing the launch happen in person. For someone interested in science, that anticipation can become an important part of the journey.

For Wenchang, launch-related tourism raises questions about longer stays and local business. Channel NewsAsia’s August reporting explored the city’s ambition to encourage visitors to remain beyond the main event. A launch-day crowd does not automatically create steady business throughout the year. The challenge is giving visitors more reasons to explore the city.

A satisfying travel experience also depends on the time before and after the main attraction. Local food and coastal scenery could help visitors connect with Wenchang beyond the launch itself. This would give travellers a fuller holiday and businesses more opportunities to welcome them. The whole stay needs to feel worthwhile.

A rocket mission remains a demanding technical operation, even when spectators experience it as an exciting event. Reuters’ account included an August launch that ended in mission failure. That detail matters because it shows the uncertainties involved. Engineering objectives and mission outcomes remain central, regardless of how many people are watching.

Interest in China’s Wenchang shows how curiosity about science can become a reason to visit a destination. Some journeys focus on history, wildlife or music; this one centres on seeing a mission begin. The opportunity for the city is to turn that initial interest into a meaningful stay. For visitors, it offers a different memory of a holiday by the sea.

Keeping Traditions Alive: Why Living Heritage Matters

Aadhya Tibrewal, Jadetimes Staff

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Artisans demonstrate traditional weaving in Vietnam. Picture source: Vietnam Government News.

Living heritage continues through people who practice traditions, teach their skills and pass knowledge to younger generations.

Living heritage received international attention on October 17, the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO’s 2026 observance recognised the communities and individuals who practise and pass on cultural knowledge. The occasion highlights traditions that continue through people rather than being preserved only as objects or buildings.

Many people first experience cultural traditions at home or within their community. A child might learn a song from a grandparent, watch a craftsperson work or help prepare for a festival. These moments involve learning through participation. Their importance can be easy to overlook because they feel like an ordinary part of life.

Keeping a skill alive requires time and personal guidance. A photograph may show a finished textile, but it cannot explain every movement involved in making it. Learners need opportunities to ask questions and practise difficult steps. Experienced practitioners carry knowledge that can be hard to capture fully in a recording.

Living heritage can also involve adaptation. Younger performers may find new audiences online, while craftspeople may explore different uses for an established skill. The people practising the tradition should have a voice in how those changes happen. Community participation helps keep the connection between a cultural practice and the people who give it meaning.

Public attention can introduce people to a tradition, but continued learning needs opportunities to participate. Workshops, community activities and conversations with practitioners can turn curiosity into understanding. Supporting knowledge passed between generations helps traditions remain part of daily life. It gives younger people a chance to carry them forward in ways that feel meaningful.

Wizkid’s “Long Live Lagos” Documentary Submitted for Grammy Consideration

Aadhya Tibrewal, Jadetimes Staff

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 Nigerian singer Wizkid, whose journey is explored in the documentary Music Box: Wizkid: Long Live Lagos. Photo source: HBO’s official photo gallery

The film follows the Nigerian singer’s journey to international fame while keeping his roots and African identity at the center of the story.

For fans who know Wizkid through his songs, Long Live Lagos offers a chance to learn more about his journey. The documentary has been submitted for consideration in the Best Music Film category at the 2027 Grammy Awards. This is an early step in the awards process, so it does not mean the film has been nominated. Whether it reaches the final list will be decided later.

Directed by Karam Gill, the film follows Wizkid as he prepares to perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The concert gives the documentary its main setting, but the story reaches beyond that one night. It looks at his rise as a Nigerian artist and how his music has connected with listeners far from home. The documentary is part of HBO’s Music Box series.

Lagos remains an important part of the story. Even as the film follows Wizkid onto an international stage, it brings attention to the place and culture behind his music. HBO describes the documentary as a look at how art and music can change people’s views of Africa. It explores what success can mean when an artist’s work also introduces audiences to a country and culture they may know little about.

The film also connects his career with the worldwide reach of Afrobeats. It includes contributions from musician Femi Kuti, Wizkid’s longtime manager Jada Pollock, and broadcaster Julie Adenuga. Their different perspectives help tell a fuller story about his career and the music around him. They also place his achievements alongside the African artists and cultural influences that came before him.

A song can become part of someone’s everyday life without the listener knowing much about the person who made it. A documentary gives that listener time to look closer. Here, the preparations for a major concert become a way to explore music, ambition and belonging. For viewers, it is an opportunity to think about what an artist takes from home—and what they share with the world.

Long Live Lagos first screened at the 2025 Tribeca Festival before becoming part of HBO’s documentary series. Its reported Grammy submission now brings fresh attention to the film. Fans will have to wait for news about a nomination, but they can already explore the story it tells: a Nigerian musician reaching an international audience while keeping Lagos and African identity central to his journey.