All eyes will be on the expected launch into orbit of the nation's first astronaut
With all eyes on the sky, Chinese citizens held their collective breath this morning as they waited for the country to join the exclusive club of space explorers.
Thirty-three years after China's first satellite, Mao 1, broadcast the communist anthem The East Is Red from orbit, the nation was last night on the brink of launching its first manned space flight - a feat only the United States and the former Soviet Union have achieved.
Late last night, state media reported the Long March CZ-2F rocket which will catapult the Shenzhou V module into space was fully fuelled and ready for liftoff this morning.
Firing an astronaut into orbit would be a major boost to national pride, but a failure - 42 years after Moscow's first successful launch - would be a disaster for the authorities.
The Communist Party hopes for a success that will not only promote national cohesion but also help cement its authority. For ordinary citizens, a successful mission would bolster the sense of optimism that is taking hold across the country as the economy surges and the nation plays an increasingly prominent role on the diplomatic stage.
Following the end of the third plenum of the 16th Communist Party Congress last night, President Hu Jintao was expected to rush to the launch site to witness the liftoff.