In China, scientists get the celebrity treatment, drawing social media acclaim

Western social media is abuzz over a new campaign celebrating China's top scientists, with many commenters saying their own countries should follow suit and honor pioneering researchers as everyday heroes.

It began in late August as a voluntary public-service initiative by commercial enterprises in east China's Shandong Province, which displayed a tribute to rocket scientist Qian Xuesen on a large outdoor screen. The gesture quickly spread across the country, reaching Zhengzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and several other major cities. LED screens and advertising slots that had carried product placements and celebrity endorsements soon gave way to tributes to legendary figures in China's scientific history such as pioneering agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, pharmacologist Tu Youyou, and nuclear physicist Deng Jiaxian.

Then the tributes went global. As photos and clips spread across platforms like Instagram and X, admiration poured in — Chinese and Western outlets alike extolled the displays, many declaring, "These are the real superstars we should be following," and cheering the campaign for "treating [scientists] like national celebrities."

Li Zexin, a Xinhua journalist, echoed these sentiments in a post on his X account: "These are the real top stars that we should follow… These are the people who lifted China from weak to strong in defense, food, health, and tech."

Over on Reddit, a video of the billboards posted to the subreddit r/BeAmazed on September 4 racked up more than 8,200 upvotes and 459 comments, most of them cheering the initiative and many users asking why their own countries hadn't done the same. The Print, an India-based news outlet, put the question in a headline: "China puts scientists on billboards: why can't India do the same?"

Instagram picked up the thread. Evolving.ai zeroed in on the campaign's core idea: "The idea is simple: give the people behind major scientific breakthroughs the same kind of public attention usually reserved for actors, athletes, and influencers." Deep Diving Marketing pushed it further, framing the campaign as a statement of national identity: "The message is clear: these are the real role models. That's a different kind of brand for a country."

While the billboard initiative has been largely spontaneously grassroots in origin, it has been part of a broader national drive to invigorate scientific innovation and patriotic sentiment in society. On September 11, 2020, at a symposium of scientists, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the necessity of vigorously carrying forward the "spirit of scientists," which includes the patriotic spirit of having the nation in one's heart and serving the people, and the innovative spirit of bravely climbing the peak and daring to be the first.

Indeed, China has a longstanding tradition of honoring its scientific heroes. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the country has continually honored science and technology workers through statues and monuments, posters and paintings, film and books. In 1999, the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Meritorious Service Medal was awarded to 23 scientists for their work in bringing China into the nuclear and space age. Since 1999, China has initiated the National Science and Technology Award, honoring outstanding scientists who have made invaluable contributions to the nation and the people's livelihood. The National Science and Technology Workers' Day is celebrated across China on May 30. The Chinese people, in all aspects of life, are profoundly grateful for those who have made their country into the prosperous scientific and technological powerhouse that it is today.

Overall, the latest billboard campaign's message is clear: China is a nation that prizes creative knowledge put to public use, and its citizens hold deep reverence for those who use such talents to improve people's lives. Across the screens from Shandong to Zhejiang - and in comment threads from Reddit to Instagram - it is a message that has clearly found an audience.