A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A large audience tuned in to the live broadcast of the Perseids meteor shower on Saturday from the Haba Lake in Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The broadcast was a feature at the 5th Stargazing Camping Festival, which was held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county, Wuzhong, from Friday to Sunday.

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Located in a nature reserve, the Haba Lake Observatory offers an excellent environment for stargazing, with the absence of light pollution and the open landscape of grasslands and deserts providing a clear view of the sky," said Liu Pushun, the director of the Haba Lake Observatory.

He said that on clear summer nights, people can see the Milky Way, over 3,000 stars that are very bright, more than 40 constellations in the northern sky, and other objects in space like nebulae and galaxies.

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The clear sky also makes the location ideal for astronomy research such as deep sky photography, comet and asteroid tracking, and observing objects passing in front of others, said Liu.

During the festival, Liu led daily tours and delivered lectures on basic astronomy, introducing participants to the wonders of the night sky. Furthermore, attendees had the opportunity to directly discuss various topics with Liu while taking their own pictuers of the Milky Way and stars.

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

According to Wang Zhi, president of Haba Lake Tourism Development Co Ltd, the company has introduced two new telescopes. The first is an advanced 152mm-caliber compound apochromatic telescope, a type that combines three colors into a single focal point to provide clarity when observing planets and distant stars. The second is an automated telescope with star-finding and tracking features. They also built a one-of-a-kind observatory that is 16 meters in diameter and has a dome shape. This observatory can be retracted electronically and was designed with safety, aesthetics, and the environment in mind.

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Since completion of the Haba Lake Observatory, the area has seen an increase in tourism. It is open year-round, increasing nighttime and winter tourism.

Wang said they will develop star-themed experiences, online astronomy education and promotional materials, live broadcasts for the media, and interactive products for the general public.

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A stargazing camping festival is held at the Haba Lake ecotourism area in Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Aug 11 to 13, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]