BEIJING -- China's Shenzhou-16 astronauts in the Tiangong space station encouraged the primary and secondary school students across the country on Friday, the first day of the new semester, to chase their dreams.

Via a video link, Zhu Yangzhu, the country's first flight engineer in space, called on students to stay self-motivated, adding that his dream of flying in the sky had never faded.

Gui Haichao, a professor at Beihang University and the country's first civilian astronaut into space, encouraged pupils to stay curious.

"Twenty years ago, when I was a sophomore in secondary school, the news I heard from the school radio that Shenzhou-5 spacecraft was successfully launched ignited my passion for space," he said. "My curiosity for space has guided me in decision-making and perseverance."

Jing Haipeng, the commander of the Shenzhou-16 mission, is the first Chinese astronaut to enter space four times.

He inspired students to stick with their dreams, noting that he had made preparations for ten years before his first space flight.