The three astronauts who accomplished the space docking and rendezvous mission on Tiangong 1/Shenzhou IX touched down in Hong Kong on Friday to a hero's welcome at the beginning of a four-day goodwill tour.

They were greeted by the cheers of about 200 local students, who waved Chinese national flags as the honored guests stepped into the arrival hall at Hong Kong International Airport. Students handed the astronauts floral bouquets, while the visitors happily signed autographs for the young people who lined up along their way.

Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space, along with veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng and their crewmate Liu Wang, arrived at the airport before noon on Friday as part of a 40-member delegation.