Chongqing - From Jiefangbei to Shapingba, the city's prime advertising spots feature the scientists who shaped modern China, as part of a nationwide tribute this National Day.
Giant posters of scientists including Deng Jiaxian, Qian Xuesen and Huang Xuhua appear on prime outdoor screens along the Jiefangbei pedestrian street in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, on September 4, 2026. (Photo/Yin Shiyu, Visual Chongqing)
Since early September, giant posters and videos have appeared on outdoor screens across Yuzhong District, Liangjiang New Area, Dadukou District and Yongchuan District. They feature figures such as Qian Xuesen, father of China's space program; Deng Jiaxian, a key architect of its atomic bomb; Huang Xuhua, chief designer of China's first nuclear submarine; and rice breeder Yuan Longping. In Liangjiang, commercial venues including Guanyinqiao and Caijia Chengguangli have handed over their prime ad slots. The campaign began during China's second National Science Popularization Month. Its theme reads: "Salute the nation's backbone, light up the stars of our time, and give the city's brightest spot to the pillars of the nation."
The tribute has carried into the National Day holiday. At Wanda Plaza in Shapingba, 50 large posters line the mall's central atrium, each featuring a scientist's photo, name, and short biography. Visitors have been stopping to read them and take pictures.
"Pillars of the Nation" posters filling the atrium of Wanda Plaza in Shapingba District, Chongqing, on October 4, 2026. (Photo/Guo Jin)
Chongqing's displays are part of a nationwide campaign. Malls and metro stations across China are replacing celebrity endorsements and product ads with portraits of honored scientists.
In June, the Yinzuo mall in Shanxian County, Shandong province, hung a large poster of Qian Xuesen on its exterior wall, along with his advice: "Don't lose confidence. Keep at it, and results will come."
Zhu Wei, who oversees the mall's operations, said staff were initially worried about losing ad revenue. They then decided that a shopping center is also a public space. "A city's most prominent screens shouldn't carry only celebrity endorsers and commercial ads," he said. "They should also reflect the national spirit."
A large screen at a shopping mall in Heze, Shandong Province, displays a public service poster honoring Deng Jiaxian. (Photo/Xinhua)
The idea has since spread to cities including Shenyang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Hebei and Hulunbuir, with displays timed around the July 1, August 1 and October 1 holidays. On the first day of the National Day break, a long digital screen at Zhengzhou's Convention and Exhibition Center metro station showed portraits of Qian, Deng, Yuan, Tu and nuclear physicist Yu Min.
"One look and you're filled with respect," said Guo, a teacher in Zhengzhou. "Posters like these quietly shape children's values."
A child poses for a photo in front of posters of scientists at the Zhengzhou Metro Convention and Exhibition Center Station on October 1, 2026. (Photo/Liu Zhenkun, Xinhua)
Online, the hashtag "Mall screens pay tribute to scientists" has trended, and one comment has been widely echoed: "These are the stars we should be following."
The displays are part of a wider push to bring scientists' stories into daily life. Other efforts include a storytelling series from the China Association for Science and Technology, a science-themed train on Shandong Jinan's Metro Line 4, and an original stage play at the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum.
Some commentators have added caveats to the praise. An op-ed in the Beijing News called the displays an act of social responsibility. It also warned against using them to shame businesses that run ordinary commercial ads, saying legal advertising remains a legitimate business choice.
The paper also raised a legal point. Lawyers note that the portraits of public figures are protected by law whether the person is living or dead, even in non-profit tributes. Organizers should get permission from the individuals or their families. The op-ed added that some businesses may be using the "tribute" label to attract attention.
It called for clear rules on authorization and use so that the trend can become a lasting, well-regulated practice.
Whatever rules eventually take shape, the public's verdict so far has been clear. For the people stopping beneath the screens this holiday, the scientists are no longer just names in a textbook but faces they can look up to. Among the teenagers snapping photos today, some may be the ones who carry that spirit into China's labs tomorrow.