Chinese Academy of Sciences Opens Ninth Science Festival in China

What changed

The Chinese Academy of Sciences opened its ninth Science Festival on October 31, ahead of its 77th anniversary on November 1.

The Beijing programme runs through November 1 at the Institute of Botany and the southern section of the National Botanical Garden, with six sections covering research exhibits, performances, workshops and hands-on experiments. Parallel events are taking place in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu, with support from more than 20 science institutions, universities and local-government bodies.

Why it matters

The festival turns research infrastructure into something people can see and touch. Visitors can explore the thorium-based molten-salt experimental reactor, the Jiangmen neutrino detector and the “Tianwen” satellite, then move on to robot performers, a bionic eye, an electronic tongue and activities such as chip-making simulations, homemade submarines and simulated space experiments.

That mix is the important choice. Science is presented not only as a finished achievement, but as a series of objects, performances and small experiments that invite participation. For young visitors especially, a robot band or a robot called “Moon Dog” may be a more immediate gateway to difficult ideas than a formal lecture.

The programme also connects major laboratories with less glamorous but practical work. Visitors can learn how long-term observation and research at Yucheng Station support saline-alkali land improvement and modern circular agriculture in the lower Yellow River, while other sessions focus on black-soil conservation, chemistry, biodiversity and evolution.

An online tour led by Olympic champions extends the festival beyond the venues. The broader point is clear: the academy is using its anniversary not only to display discoveries, but to make the daily work of science feel accessible and worth investigating. Whether that produces lasting changes in science participation remains unknown, but the festival gives curiosity a physical address: and several things to build, watch and take apart.