Mourners pay final respects to renowned physicist and Nobel laureate Yang Chen-Ning

A steady stream of mourners gathered at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in western Beijing on Friday, forming waiting lines that stretched dozens of meters to pay final respects to renowned physicist and Nobel laureate Yang Chen-Ning.

Yang died in Beijing on Saturday at the age of 103. Recognized as one of the most eminent scientists of the 20th century, Yang is best known for the Yang-Mills theory and the "nonconservation of parity in weak interactions", a revolutionary theory that won him and his Chinese-American colleague Tsung-Dao Lee the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957.

People of all walks of life came to the cemetery for his monumental scientific breakthroughs, enduring curiosity, unwavering patriotism, and unique role as a bridge for international scientific exchange.

The atmosphere was one of profound reverence and quiet reflection, as the crowd waited patiently to enter the hall where the farewell ceremony for the Nobel laureate was being held.

Among the early attendees was Xue Suijian, the former deputy director of the National Astronomical Observatories, an institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Xue noted that after the detection of gravitational waves — predicted by Einstein's general relativity — Yang emphasized the importance of concentrating national and global scientific resources on key research goals. Yang was a strong supporter of large-scale facilities like China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, often referred to as China's "Sky Eye".

Xue vividly remembered accompanying the then 95-year-old Yang on a visit to FAST in October 2017.

"He inspected the facility with great interest, seeing the entire structure," Xue said. "He also met with on-site researchers, placing great expectations on them."

Xue also shared that he had maintained email contact with Yang after a 2018 scientific conference, where he gifted the physicist a meteorite sample. Even in his later years, Yang showed keen curiosity, asking for detailed information about the meteorite's composition.

Hui Min, a 67-year-old retired high school English teacher from Henan province, said she had frequently drawn upon Yang's example in her classroom.

"I often transmitted this knowledge to my students, hoping that they would develop an awareness of revitalizing our nation through science and technology from a young age," she said, with a voice full of emotion. "Our country has walked the path of developing through science and education, a path greatly advanced by scientists like Professor Yang."

Chen Duoyu, a 39-year-old doctoral student from Tsinghua University's Department of History of Science, came with his 11-year-old daughter, Chen Xuefeier.

He explained that his daughter's school features a statue of Deng Jiaxian, Yang's lifelong friend. "My daughter is regularly inspired by the scientists' spirit. Bringing her here today is about the transmission of spirit from one generation to the next."

The young Chen Xuefeier said: "Both Deng Jiaxian, who contributed greatly to the nuclear cause of our nation, and Grandpa Yang Chen-Ning, who contributed to the development of physics, are role models in my heart," she said.

From Tianjin, Yun Changyong brought his son, Yun Mingze, a middle school student, to bid farewell to Yang. "We wanted our child to see Professor Yang off, to feel his great spirit, and to learn from him," the father said. "We hope this inspires my son to make his own contribution to society and the country in the future."

For the younger Yun, the lesson was clear. "Professor Yang was selfless and pioneering. His influence teaches me not to back down from difficulties but to persevere," he said. "Under his influence, I will study hard to gain the ability to serve and protect our homeland."

Li Bingrun, a sophomore physics major at Renmin University of China, attended the ceremony with his classmates.

As a physics student, he is deeply impressed by Professor Yang's theories, like parity non-conservation, Li said.

"Professor Yang was a patriot who cared deeply about our country's education. I, too, want to become someone who repays my country to the best of my ability."

Gu Tong contributed to this story.