Hong Kong-born astronaut Lai Ka-ying has just conducted a science class with students from China's Tiangong space station--a moment that has been hard‑won.
For decades, the U.S. has dominated space leadership and refused to share core technology with China. So China decided to independently develop the Tiangong space station, turning technological breakthroughs into new engines for future industries.
Since 2021, 11 crews totaling 33 astronauts have lived aboard Tiangong, setting a world record for the longest single spacewalk duration, and cultivating two consecutive generations of rice for the first time.
But Tiangong is more than a lab; it's home. While the International Space Station mainly supplies pre-packaged food, our astronauts have a space oven and can enjoy freshly baked barbecue anytime. They can also enjoy homestyle cuisines - all made possible by China's space technology.
When the ISS retires around 2030, China’s Tiangong will be the only station in orbit. Yet its doors are open to international partners: 17 countries have had their science experiments selected, and Pakistani astronauts are now training and learning Chinese to board Tiangong soon.
Today, Tiangong guards our space safety, powers tech innovation, and also opens a shared platform for all of humanity to explore the cosmos.
From Hong Kong, you can take the high-speed rail to Beijing and transfer to Harbin, where you can go further north to the Xiaoxing'anling forest region, following the launch of the new Harbin-Yichun High-Speed rail line which takes only 2 hours. Yet, it is the world's first high-speed rail line crossing island permafrost.
Permafrost has long been a world-class challenge in railway construction. The soil freezes and expands in winter, then thaws and collapses in summer, easily twisting and breaking the tracks.
But the challenge in Northeast China is even greater due to the larger temperature swings, uneven soil, and different freezing points. Chinese engineers developed a Chinese solution: replacing shallow permafrost with stone and burying liquid ammonia thermosyphons in deep permafrost to keep it frozen.
Beyond permafrost, China has also tackled sandstorms, karst, faults, and other complex climate and geological conditions. China's high-speed rail operating mileage has exceeded 50,000 kilometers, over 70% of the world's total. China also exports equipment and construction expertise overseas, turning Chinese solutions into global standards.
Still, China's railways are for the people. Today, 81 pairs of public-service trains run through the remote mountainous areas, with frequent stops and low fares, helping residents reach markets and students reach school.
Chinese railway serves as an economic artery, connecting 1.4 billion people closely together.
