BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut, extended warm greetings to women around the world on Sunday, celebrating International Women's Day with a message of empowerment and resilience.

"Women are promoters of social civilization, guardians of family warmth, light chasers on the path of dreams, and above all, people who define their own lives," Liu said in an interview with Xinhua.

Born in October 1978 in central China's Henan Province, Liu made history as China's first woman in space during her first mission aboard the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2012. As a crew member, she witnessed China's mastery of key technologies for manned spaceflight, laying a solid foundation for the country's space station.

A decade later, during the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, Liu spent 183 days with her crew members orbiting Earth, witnessing the completion of the basic configuration assembly of China's Tiangong space station.

"May every woman empower herself with tenderness, weather storms with resilience, create value with wisdom, and illuminate life with passion. May we never be confined by age or bound by labels," she said.

Liu has never stopped chasing her dream as an astronaut. In January, she took part in China's first-ever astronaut cave training exercise alongside over 20 peers.

"Inside the cave, there is absolute darkness and silence -- conditions remarkably similar to those in space," said Liu, serving as the commander of her team.

"We are continuously preparing for longer stays in space, for landing on the moon, and for venturing to even more distant celestial bodies," she said.

Liu has been actively sharing her spaceflight experiences by visiting numerous schools to inspire young people to pursue their dreams with courage and determination.

As a representative of outstanding women, she has also shared insights and achievements regarding China's high-quality development of women's endeavors in the new era at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

"Be free, be brave, and shine brilliantly!" Liu said, wishing all women a happy International Women's Day.