China gives scientists the celebrity treatment with giant city billboards

Forget movie stars and pop idols, some of China’s most eye-catching advertising spaces are now being taken over by scientists.

Across several cities, giant billboards and digital screens in shopping malls, metro stations and other busy public spaces are displaying the faces of renowned Chinese scientists, turning the country’s scientific pioneers into unlikely public celebrities.

The trend began in Shandong in August, where some commercial venues voluntarily dedicated prominent advertising spaces to posters celebrating scientists including rocket scientist Qian Xuesen, agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, pharmacologist Tu Youyou and nuclear physicist Deng Jiaxian.

The idea has since spread to cities including Zhengzhou, Hangzhou and Chongqing, where commuters have encountered enormous portraits of scientists as they go about their daily routines.

In Zhengzhou, large displays featuring Qian Xuesen and Deng Jiaxian have appeared at prominent locations, putting the scientists’ achievements before thousands of commuters who would ordinarily see advertisements for products, entertainment and commercial brands.

Qian, regarded as one of the key figures behind China’s space programme, and Deng, who played a major role in the country’s nuclear weapons development, are being presented as figures worthy of the same public admiration often given to entertainment stars.

Yuan Longping, known for his pioneering work on hybrid rice, and Tu Youyou, whose research led to the discovery of the malaria treatment artemisinin, are also among the scientists being celebrated.

The unusual displays have attracted attention because of the locations involved. Instead of selling smartphones, fashion, films or other consumer products, some of the country’s valuable advertising spaces are being used to celebrate scientific achievement.

Some of the posters have described the scientists as society’s “top stars”, encouraging the public to look beyond traditional celebrity culture when considering who deserves recognition.

The displays are understood to be largely voluntary public-service initiatives by commercial venues rather than part of a nationwide order requiring businesses to remove celebrity advertising.

Still, the growing campaign is sending a striking message: in these Chinese cities, the people lighting up giant billboards are, for now, not entertainers but the scientists whose work helped transform the country.