Shenzhou-18 crew shares views of Yangtze River, Yellow River from space

The Shenzhou-18 crew members on board China's orbiting space station Tiangong recently shared their views from space of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, regarded as the two "mother rivers" in China.

Ye Guangfu, commander of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceflight mission, first shared the views of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway and the world's third longest river. Along the basin of the river, many famous cities are situated, including Chongqing in southwest China, Wuhan in central China and the eastern cities of Nanjing and Shanghai.

Li Cong, another taikonaut, then shared the views of the Yellow River, China's second longest river.

The Yellow River links the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the Loess Plateau and plains in northern China with severe water scarcity. It plays an important role in improving the ecological environment, combating desertification and providing water supply with the help of water conservancy projects.

The Shenzhou-18 crew is scheduled to return to Earth in late October after staying in orbit for about six months.