SNHM Science Education Team Joins 2025 Yunnan Science and Technology Week

On May 27, 2025, the 2025 Yunnan Science and Technology Week and Science and Technology Workers Day activities were launched in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province. To strengthen science popularization collaboration between Shanghai and Yunnan, the science education team from the Shanghai Natural History Museum (SNHM, a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, SSTM) was invited to participate in the science promotion event in Baoshan. Through science performances and a science fair, they enabled the public to experience the wonders of science up close and enhanced citizens’ scientific literacy.

At the launch ceremony of the Science and Technology Week, as the opening science drama performance, the SNHM science education team presented their original science experiment show The New Butterfly Dream. Through their excellent interpretation, the team guided the audience through the story of Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream and had them witness the mesmerizing iridescent color transformations of butterflies along with the dreamlike twists. The scientific explanations woven into the performance helped the audience understand the underlying principles of physical structures and light interaction.

At the Science Night outreach event that evening, the SNHM’s exhibition booth was surrounded by children and parents. Through hands-on activities such as crafting nest-shaped piggy banks, creating 3D cards of camouflage masters in the insect world, and coloring various animal and plant cards, the children not only gained an understanding of the wonders of natural science but also developed a keen interest in living organisms.

The event also represents a significant initiative by the SSTM to fully support the Belt and Road Initiative and actively promote the sharing of innovation resources between Shanghai and Yunnan. In the future, the SSTM will further strengthen efforts in technological innovation and science popularization by delivering a series of educational programs, including popular science lectures, science performances, and experimental courses. These efforts aim to facilitate the dissemination and understanding of scientific knowledge, broaden the scientific horizons of the youth, and enhance the scientific literacy of local communities.