Science fiction has become a major focus of attention for many attendees at the recently concluded Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference in Beijing.
From literary creation to driving technological development, Chinese science fiction is becoming a compelling force that inspires the future.
At the 2026 China Science Fiction Convention, held from Friday to Sunday as a parallel forum to the ZGC Forum Annual Conference, sci-fi works' role of connecting the public, as well as presenting scenarios and challenges for future sci-tech development were highlighted by many guests.
"Science fictions can concretize many of our laboratory-based theoretical content, disseminating it to the public through the form of fiction, providing an application scenario for our technological inventions. Through individual stories, the public can embrace these great technological inventions," said La Zi, editor-in-chief of the Science Fiction World magazine.
From "The Three-Body Problem" novels sparking a scientific craze, to "The Wandering Earth" opening the door to hardcore science fiction films, a hundred-billion-level science fiction industry is rising in China. At the China Science Fiction Convention, attendees were able to see the latest developments and products from China's science fiction industry at the International Sci-fi and Future Tech Expo Beijing, a sideline event.
"The most precious characteristic of science fiction literature is that it is the most capable of resonating with all of humanity, across different cultures. The future it depicts is the future we all face together; the challenges it describes are also the challenges we must face together. This is also the spiritual essence of science fiction literature," said Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem trilogy.
Sci-fi's role in technological development explored at annual sci-tech gathering in Beijing
