In September this year, China’s first statutory National Science Popularization Month kicked off in Xi District, Panzhihua City. With the theme of "Enhancing the Scientific Literacy of All Citizens and Consolidating the Foundation for a Powerful Science and Technology Nation", this science popularization feast involving all citizens is not only a dissemination of knowledge, but also a baptism of the scientific spirit. Various departments (units), towns (subdistricts), schools, enterprises and social organizations in Xi District took prompt actions, holding a total of 45 large-scale science popularization activities and serving nearly 20,000 people. The online-offline linkage brought scientific knowledge into thousands of households and integrated the concept of innovation into daily life.

A Science Carnival on Campus

Walking into Panzhihua No.10 Primary and Secondary School, the "Science Popularization on Campus" activity was in full swing. Students watched flexibly dancing robot dogs up close, played chess against intelligent robots, and experienced the magic of science through interesting experiments like "Dancing Paper Clips". Under the guidance of teachers, they conducted hands-on experiments, not only gaining knowledge, but also igniting their curiosity to explore the unknown.

Schools such as Panzhihua No.36 Primary and Secondary School carried out theme class meetings, scientific and technological productions, innovation competitions and popular science reading activities, allowing students to grow through participation and gain through experience.

Science Popularization Enters the Frontline of Production

It is reported that the Taxation Bureau of Xi District organized middle-level cadres to visit the production line of Pangang Group. Guided and explained by the enterprise’s professionals throughout the process, the cadres observed the whole process of rail beam rolling and quality control on site, and gained an in-depth understanding of the enterprise’s production and operation mode, technological innovation achievements and industrial chain layout. Through this "immersive" experience, the cadres were helped to grasp the development trends of the industry and accumulate practical experience for optimizing tax collection, management and services for key enterprises.

The Cycas Yam Planting Association of Xi District, Panzhihua City, jointly with Panzhihua Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, successfully held a training activity on "Science Popularization Aids Rural Revitalization" for the hanging ditch planting technology of Cycas yams at the association’s base, sowing the seeds of science in the fertile fields of hope. At the event site, Uncle Wang, a grower from a nearby village, said, "In the past, I grew Chinese yams purely based on old experience, and the yield was inconsistent. Today, after listening to the experts’ explanation on the hanging ditch planting technology, I find it not only labor-saving, but also effective in preventing diseases. I plan to try it on my two mu of land this year."

In addition, the Bureau of Science and Technology of Xi District also went into enterprises to explain science and technology innovation policies face-to-face, helping enterprises stimulate innovation vitality; Gelipping Town provided the elderly with training titled "Healthy Silver Years, Enjoyable Life", which covered health preservation and fraud prevention to comprehensively safeguard the life safety of the elderly group; the Market Supervision Bureau of Xi District organized a series of theme publicity activities by setting up on-site consultation desks, entering campuses, distributing publicity materials and popular science books. These activities included intellectual property publicity, "World Metrology Day", "Quality Month" and "National Drug Safety Publicity Week", effectively promoting the coordinated development of science popularization and scientific and technological innovation, and creating a sound social atmosphere of advocating science, loving science, learning science and applying science.

Online and Offline Resonance

During the event, Xi District pushed more than 80 pieces of science popularization information through platforms such as WeChat official accounts and government APPs, with a reading volume exceeding 100,000 person-times; offline, more than 200 publicity sessions were held in community squares, pedestrian streets and classes of various schools, and over 20,000 copies of publicity materials were distributed. The voice of science extended from screens to streets and alleys, and spread from classrooms to thousands of households.

A relevant person in charge of the Association for Science and Technology of Xi District stated that taking this Science Popularization Month activity as an opportunity, the district will continue to summarize experience, optimize working mechanisms, and promote the normalization and precision of science popularization work. In the future, Xi District will focus on building a science popularization service system with local characteristics, enabling scientific knowledge to step out of the "ivory tower", integrate into people’s lives, and become an accessible life guide for the public. Science popularization work will better serve the overall situation of high-quality development, making innovation truly an inexhaustible driving force for promoting urban progress. (Text/Photos by Yang Bangchun)