First phase of Beijing Subway Project, the Pingguoyuan-Beijing Railway Station Section, Opens to Traffic on Sept 15, 1981

The first phase of the Beijing subway project, the Pingguoyuan-Beijing Railway Station section, opens to traffic on Sept 15, 1981. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

First phase of Beijing subway project, the Pingguoyuan-Beijing Railway Station section, opens to traffic on Sept 15, 1981

The first phase of the Beijing subway project passed inspection allowing the Pingguoyuan-Beijing Railway Station section to open to traffic on Sept 15, 1981.

Beijing was China's first city to have a subway line, and Line 1 was its first route. The city acquired an underground line earlier than Seoul, Singapore and Washington DC.

The Railway Engineering Corps, the predecessor of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, contributed to the project.

China finds its first deepwater oil and gas field, Lingshui 17-2, in South China Sea on Sept 15, 2014

The Lingshui 17-2 gas field, the high-yielding field of its kind, was explored in the South China Sea by China National Offshore Oil Corporation's HAI YANG SHI YOU 981 drilling platform on Sept 15, 2014.

It was the first deepwater oil and gas field found in the area by China.

HAI YANG SHI YOU 981 was the first deepwater drilling platform completely designed and constructed by China and went into operation in 2012.

The South China Sea is home to rich oil and gas resources, but 70 percent of them are in deep water and difficult to develop.

Discovery of Lingshui 17-2 was proof of the South China Sea's oil and gas deepwater potential and confirmation that China had the capacity to develop these resources.

Tiangong II space lab is launched on Sept 15, 2016

The Tiangong II space lab was sent into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province on Sept 15, 2016.

Generally developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Tiangong II was the second space lab completely made by China.

It was intended to further verify space rendezvous and docking technology and to conduct space experiments.

The space lab has mainly been used in Earth observation and research in fields like Earth system science, new technology of space applications, space technology and aerospace medicine.

It is intended to evolve into China's first space lab in the true sense.

(Executive editor: Zhang Tianyuan)