Are we alone in the universe and, more importantly, will the aliens like the spicy Sichuan food?

If there are beings on other planets, the Chinese people have thrown open their doors to them with traditional hospitality in a project to communicate with extra-terrestrials.

"Hello from Earth" was launched by the Australian science magazine COSMOS for Australia's National Science Week from August 15 to 23.

By Saturday, it had collected more than 12,200 messages from around the world on www.hellofromearth.net to be transmitted to the distant planet Gliese 581d.

"Yoo-hoo! Anybody here? Oh, I come from a blue paradise, and I want to make friends with you! Please bring your science to us, and I will treat you with Sichuan food," wrote "Kang Xia" from southwest China's Sichuan Province.

But if that offer proves too spicy, at least two Qingdao residents were offering to treat them to the city's most famous export, Tsingtao beer.

"Hello, friends. We are no longer lonely. If you can let us meet, we will welcome you! I will ask you to drink Tsingtao," wrote "Zehao Liang".

The website stipulates that the messages must be in English, leading some to wonder if the aliens might be more comfortable with Chinese.

"Who said aliens must read in English?" asked "yangbo", of Yibin City, Sichuan Province. "They may be more familiar with Chinese."

Others resorted to pinyin. "Huan ying lai di qiu! (Welcome to Earth!) One world one dream," wrote "Ryan Kwan", from Foshan, Guangdong Province.

"If you come to Earth I 'qing ni chi fan'(treat you a meal)," said "huangchen", of Zhejiang Province, while "mingxue han" invited the aliens to a "Spring Festival party."

On the COSMOS website, an "unscientific poll" of readers, asking "Will our messages to Gliese 581d get a response?", almost half the respondents answered "no".

Gliese 581d is about eight times heavier than Earth and orbits the low-mass red dwarf star Gliese 581 with three sister planets. It is about 20.3 light years (194 trillion km) from Earth, in the constellation Libra.

It was discovered in April 2007 and is believed to be the first serious "water world" candidate, meaning it might support life.

"So far, our knowledge of Gliese 581d is sketchy. What the planet looks like may have to wait until technology improves. Or until someone calls back," says the website.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will transmit the messages to Gliese 581d using the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex in Tidbinbilla.

It will take around 20 years for the signal to reach the solar system of Gliese 581, meaning we will have to wait at least 40 years for a reply.

Australian Science Minister Kim Carr wrote the first message, saying, "These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share those dreams with you."

Messages will be accepted until 7:00 AM GMT, on August 24.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2009)