The re-entry capsule of China's Shenzhou-6 spacecraft, carrying taikonauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, landed on earth safely at 4:33 a.m. Monday, marking a "complete success" of China's second manned space mission after it put the first Chinese national in space two years ago.

Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo declared China's successful space mission a "milestone" in China's space technology development and its space experiments with human participation.

"The successful mission is of great significance for elevating China's prestige in the world, promoting China's economic, scientific and national defense capabilities and consolidating the national cohesiveness," he said at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center.

Both taikonauts are "in fine conditions," doctors said after physical checkup upon landing. They landed just 1 km away from the preset spot after a 115-hour-and-32-minute spaceflight, which was more than five times that of China's maiden manned spaceflight two years ago.

Fei and Nie climbed out their kettle-shaped capsule with help of technicians, clambered down a ladder in predawn darkness. They were seated for a bouquet of flowers and to get used to Earth's gravity.

"We feel fine," said all-smile Fei. Nie thanked all the Chinese people for their "care and support." Both waved flowers to the excited welcoming crowd.

They later had a snack of chocolate and Chinese herbal tea. Nie seemed in a very good appetite and took a bowl of instant noodle.

The two men were flown to Beijing and given big hugs by their glamorous wives and children respectively, as well as their colleagues including Yang Liwei, the first Chinese taikonaut. A grand welcoming ceremony is also waiting for them in the China Aerospace City.

The space mission have gripped the sight of the whole nation in the past five days.

"We can have a final laughter," beaming Liu Yu, commanding chief of the rocket system told Xinhua. "It was a mission perfectly fulfilled."

Television pictures showed parents of the two taikonauts burst into tears when they saw their sons emerging from the spacecraft early Monday morning. Jubilant residents in hometowns of the taikonauts set off firecrackers and performed traditional lion dances.

Chinese president Hu Jintao were present at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center to watch the lift-off on

Wednesday and talked with the taikonauts on Saturday. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was at the launch site to see off the two men with best wishes before the launch.

Luckily, Nie spent his 41st birthday in space and received a phone call from his wife and daughter. The joyful daughter's sweet song "Happy Birthday to You" has warmed the hearts of millions of Chinese television viewers.

Fei and Nie blasted off Wednesday morning on China's second manned space mission. Before landing, Shenzhou-6 have been racing around the Earth one circle in every 90 minutes 343 km above the Earth at a speed of 7.9 km per second. It flew 3.25 million kilometers in space.

Fei and Nie have conducted a series of unprecedented experiments on the spacecraft, including the maneuvers between the orbital and re-entry capsules, taking on and off space suits, using space toilet and the self-test of blood pressure.

During China's maiden space flight in 2003, lone astronaut Yang Liwei never left his seat in the re-entry capsule nor take off his space suit. That space mission has made China the third country to put human into space following Russia and the United States.

China has a rocketry program since the 1950s and launched its first satellite into orbit in 1970. The manned space program was inaugurated in 1992.

Mark Lee, a renowned Chinese American space expert, called the Shenzhou-6 mission "a major step forward" in China's ambition of building a space station and probing the moon."

But he said China still has to solve several difficulties in the next steps, including conducting space-walk, development of higher-level space suits, docking of orbital capsule and the re-entry capsule and enhancing the boosting power of the rocket.