Shanghai, Oct. 7 -- CHINA yesterday announced a list of 30 songs to be broadcast to Earth next year from its first lunar probe.

The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense revealed the list for the project yesterday, which coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions.

The songs were chosen according to public votes and by a panel of experts, organized by the commission, China Central Television and China Musicians Association.

Experts said the songs could express Chinese people's love for the motherland, for life, peace and their pursuit of truth and nature, which will showcase the beauty of Chinese culture and its influence.

Most of the songs were Chinese folk songs. The song that got the most votes was folk song "My Wonderful Hometown", followed by "I Love China," "Singing Praises of Motherland" and 27 others.

China's national anthem and "The East is Red," a tribute song to Mao Zedong, which was broadcast in 1970 from the country's first manmade terrestrial satellite, will also be played from the satellite.

The satellite project was approved by the Chinese central authorities in 2004 as part of the three-stage Chang'e Program. The project has a budget of 1.4 billion yuan (US$170 million).

The program, named "Chang'e" after the legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, aims to eventually place an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010.

The lunar satellite is designed to obtain 3D images of the lunar surface, analyze the content of useful elements and materials, and probe the depth of the lunar soil and the space environment between Earth and the moon. It will orbit the moon for one year.