On the morning of February 27, the opening and donation ceremonies of "Lunar Samples No. 001: Witness of China's Space Dream" were held in the West Hall of the National Museum of China.Hu Heping, Party Secretary and Minister of Culture and Tourism; Zhang Kejian, Director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA); Wang Chunfa, Director of the National Museum of China; Wu Yanhua, Deputy Director of the China National Space Administration; Shan Wei, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Deputy Director of the National Museum of China; and Liu Jizhong, Director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, attended the opening ceremony.Minister Huannounced the opening of the exhibition.
In 2004, the CPC Central Committee grasped the general trend of China’s economic, scientific and technological development and made the major strategic decision to implement the lunar exploration program, establishing a three-step plan for orbiting, landing on and bringing back samples from the moon. Over the past 17 years, China’s lunar exploration program has successfully completed six launches.
On December 17, 2020, the Chang’e-5 return capsule landed safely on earth with a payload of nearly two kilograms of lunar samples. This represents the nation’s first successful return of samples from an extraterrestrial celestial body, which is an important milestone in the journey of building the country into a major space power. As we embark on a new journey in comprehensively building a modern socialist country, the National Museum of China is holding an exhibition centered on Lunar Sample No. 001, displaying more than 40 scientific and technological objects related to the lunar exploration program, supplemented by a large number of pictures, dynamic images and videos. The exhibition systematically reviews the glorious achievements of China’s lunar exploration program, comprehensively demonstrates the great struggle of the Chinese people to realize the dream of “ascending into the heavens and reaching for the moon.
Director Zhang said the arrival of the 100 grams of lunar samples at the National Museum wouldallow people from all over the world to see the samples with their own eyes and feel the true spirit of patriotism. It will also nurture the scientific dreams of the public, especially those of the youth, thus guiding them toward the correct value orientation, which is also the scientific and social responsibility of science and technology workers.
Director Wang declared that the National Museum was jointly organizing the exhibition with the China National Space Administration to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, to lead visitors to understand the major achievements in scientific and technological innovation represented by the lunar exploration project, to understand the important role of the new national system in promoting major scientific and technological innovation, to inspire the people to dream, to innovate and to act, and to help achieve the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation .
At the ceremony, Wu Yanhua, Deputy Director of the CNSA, issued a certificate to the National Museum recording the loan of Lunar Samples No. 001 on behalf of the CNSA, and Shan Wei, Secretary of the National Museum, issued a certificate to the CNSA marking the acceptance of the lunar samples into the National Museum's collection.
After the opening ceremony, the exhibition was opened to the public, earning enthusiastic praise from those in attendance. The lunar samples will be taken on a tour of the country at a later date.