Hong Kong  - Three Chinese astronauts hailed as national heroes after performing the country's first space walk are to visit Hong Kong and Macau, a news report said Thursday.

Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng, the three astronauts, often called taikonauts, whose space walk in September generated patriotic fervour, are to tour the territories in early December, the South China Morning Post reported.

Details of the itineraries have not been released but the visits are expected to be similar to the arrival of the taikonauts from a 2005 mission which generated huge crowds in Hong Kong.

China sent gold medal-winning athletes to visit Hong Kong and Macau after the Beijing Olympics as part of drive to boost patriotism to China in the former British and Portuguese colonies. (dpa)