Caravan lights fire underneath young, creative minds

A mobile science caravan rolled into a small rural town in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in September, drawing crowds of excited children eager to explore hands-on science activities.

Before the official start of the event, young volunteers unloaded equipment piece by piece from the caravan and set up the exhibition area. Local men, women and children even danced together to welcome the caravan's arrival.

Static electricity sent sparks through the air, and a robotic dog drew repeated cheers. A lineup of science exhibits, artificial intelligence demonstrations, and interactive experiments entertained and educated onlookers, igniting students' curiosity and enthusiasm for science amid laughter and applause.

A poster above one display read: "Which shape can bear more weight: a triangular prism, a quadrangular prism, or a cylinder?"

Children placed bottles of water one by one on flat platforms supported by each prism, testing their load-bearing capacity and gaining a hands-on understanding of structural mechanics.

Launched in May by the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, the Southern Xinjiang Science Caravan Tour brings mobile science resources to remote communities.

By mobilizing exhibits and volunteers, the campaign aims to deliver accessible and inspiring science education at the grassroots level.

The tour so far has held 14 events across nine counties and cities in southern Xinjiang, reaching nearly 20,000 primary and secondary school students.

A representative from the museum said that by embedding exhibits, cultural performances and volunteer services in rural schools, the initiative aims to ignite young people's love for their country and commitment to scientific pursuits, while boosting public science literacy and nurturing future talent in science and technology across the region.

Liu Zixuan contributed to this story.