The Shenzhou-19 crew on Wednesday landed back on Earth, after a one-day delay.

The China Manned Space Agency said the Shenzhou-19 craft had separated from the Tiangong space station at 4am Hong Kong time to start its return to Earth.

The spacecraft ferried three astronauts – Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze – to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The astronauts touched down shortly after 1pm Hong Kong time.

Ahead of their landing, footage from broadcasters showed the moment when the capsule's red and white main parachute deployed against the clear blue sky.

The trio's return had been postponed on Tuesday due to unfavourable weather conditions at the landing site.

They had carried out experiments during their six-month stay on Tiangong and set a new record for the longest-ever spacewalk.

The crew of the Shenzhou-20 – Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie – are now stationed on Tiangong.