Yang, a lieutenant colonel in the People's Liberation Army, was chosen from a pool of 14 contenders. He is the son of a teacher and an agricultural firm official and was raised in the northeast "rust belt" province of Liaoning.
State media said Yang's capsule was supplied with a tent, a knife and a gun in case he landed in the wrong place.
Accolades poured in after China successfully put Yang into orbit. In the US, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe described the launch as an important achievement.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan added his congratulations, noting that, "as the exploration of space knows no national borders, the mission of the Shenzhou V is a step forward for all humankind."
In the middle of the more than 600,000km journey, state television broadcast footage of Yang waving small Chinese and UN flags inside his capsule.
Crew members set to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) called China a serious contender in the race for supremacy in space.
"Do I see China as a potential rival? Yes, not only in space, but already commercially, economically. I think militarily it's also a possibility," said US astronaut Michael Foale, commander of Expedition 8 to the ISS.
A tight veil of secrecy has blanketed China's space program. State-controlled television delayed broadcasts of both launch and re-entry, airing footage only after the manoeuvres had been declared successful.
On the Internet, anonymous commentators gave full vent to their emotions.
"Today is your holiday, my motherland. Today is your holiday, my Divine Ship. Today is your holiday, my countrymen. Today is your holiday, our Liwei," wrote one person in a dedication to Yang on the portal Sina.com.
"When will we launch a shuttle?" asked another.
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