Space decorations are put up at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. [Photo/CFP]

China celebrated its sixth national Space Day in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, on April 24, following recent milestones in lunar exploration and ahead of the imminent landing of its first Mars probe.

The celebrations were organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the China National Space Administration, and the Jiangsu provincial government. The annual event is meant to promote space science and encourage communication and cooperation in the industry, not only in China but also across the globe.

One highlight of the celebrations was the exhibition of Earth's first-ever lunar soil sample in over four decades from the historic Chang'e-5 mission. The name of China's Mars rover was also announced before its scheduled landing on the red planet in May.

The celebrations also included around 300 activities, including lectures and exhibitions. Many space labs and workshops also opened to the public and school students.

In addition, leading scientists and scholars in China's space industry gathered for a national conference, where they delivered keynote speeches and held seminars for principals of schools to promote space science to students.

More than 30 important scientific achievements, which range from basic studies to key applications, were also shown during the conference.

The China National Space Administration also held a session on how the international community can cooperate on lunar scientific research and announced some new measures.

Lunar sample is exhibited in Nanjing during the 6th China Space Day celebrations. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]