The 2025 Soong Ching Ling Future Science Day for Young People and the 20th Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award Ceremony were held on Aug. 17 in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, celebrating the innovative spirit and scientific achievements of young people from China and abroad.

The event was co-hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). Wan Gang, the president of CAST, and Li Bin, chairperson of the CSCLF, attended the event and presented awards to the representatives of the winning children.

Li Bin (center left) and Wan Gang (center right) on stage with young winners at the award ceremony in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, on Aug. 17, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Among those attending the official launch of the 2025 Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day were academicians Fan Weicheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Xia Jun of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with Ge Huibo, the president of Hebei Provincial Committee of CAST, and Wu Bo, executive deputy director of the Xiong'an New Area Management Committee, as well as youth representatives from China’s Beijing, Yunnan province and Hong Kong, as well as Singapore.

In her speech at the ceremony, Shen Beili, vice chairperson of the CSCLF, emphasized that the event provides a valuable platform for children to enhance their innovative capabilities and foster their curiosity. Zhou Wenbiao, director general of the Department of General Administration of CAST, underscored the event's role in promoting scientific spirit and fostering an innovative culture. Meanwhile, Wu Bo, chief executive director of China Xiong'an Group Co. Ltd., said that the hosting of this event in Xiong'an represented a strong support for the new area's efforts to build a "child-friendly city" and "national demonstration hub for science popularization."

This year's awards attracted more than 46,000 entries from over 57,000 young hopefuls from across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Malaysia and Singapore. After a rigorous review process, a total of 590 winning works were selected, including 36 gold medals awarded for invention projects and 20 for artificial intelligence and coding projects, and 61 creative works. In addition, a total of 95 sci-tech themed artworks were also exhibited.

A diverse range of supplementary activities were also featured as part of the Future Science Day, including an exhibition of outstanding inventions, face-to-face meetings with scientists, popular science lectures by academicians, and drone operation experiences for youngsters. These activities were designed to foster a strong academic atmosphere, and encourage people to engage with, appreciate, learn about and apply science.