About the magic of names on the way into space

The Middle Kingdom is playing its trump cards in space travel. That's what many headlines say. China's taikonauts (after the word taikong 太空 for outer space) are on the verge of moving into their own celestial palace (Tiangong 天宫) in space in 2022, just before US astronauts and Russian cosmonauts have to vacate their outdated International Space Station (ISS). China's Fairy (Zhang'e 嫦娥) returned to the moon, where she has her cute Jade Rabbit (Yutu 玉兔) exploring the far side as a rover. Starting mid-May, Fire God (Zhu Rong 祝融) will help explore Mars as the second rover. The People's Republic, a latecomer to space, is reshuffling its space cards with traditional folklore – loosely based on Confucius: "The superior man can determine the terms and turn his words into deeds."

Last updated: 24. July 2025