China's City Billboards Replace Commercial Ads With Scientists Who Helped Feed and Modernise the Nation

Large billboards at Zhengzhou, Henan province’s Convention and Exhibition Center metro station have replaced commercial ads with portraits of Chinese scientists, a campaign that Global Times says was photographed on 27 August 2026. Commuters now see figures such as rocket scientist Qian Xuesen and nuclear physicist Deng Jiaxian, presented with names and descriptions of their contributions to areas including missile, nuclear, agricultural and medical programmes. The initiative also features agronomist Yuan Longping, physicist Qian, Nobel laureate Tu Youyou and radio astronomer Nan Rendong. It began in Shandong and spread to Anhui, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi and Henan, drawing international attention and debate.