Three Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth after spending nearly half a year on board their country's space station.

The trio -- two men and one woman -- landed in the Inner Mongolia region on Saturday.

State-run China Central Television broadcast the landing of the Shenzhou 13 space capsule live.

The astronauts headed for the space station in October last year. The outpost is still under construction. They reportedly conducted spacewalks and carried out technical tests during their 6-month stay, the longest ever for Chinese astronauts.

The state media said a crucial technical review had been completed during the latest mission, giving great momentum toward the completion of the space station possibly within this year.

On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a satellite launch center on the southern island of Hainan. He issued instructions to step up preparation work for the completion of the station as the country's Communist Party plans to hold a congress later this year.

The United States has said it will send a manned mission to the moon, fueling international competition in space exploration. Observers say China's leadership aims to enhance its national prestige through the space project.