China Focus: Stephen Hawking mourned in China

Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-14 21:45:22|Editor: Jiaxin
Video PlayerClose

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- When the news of legendary physicist Stephen Hawking's death broke Wednesday morning, Gou Lijun thought it was just another rumor.

"Every time he turned out to be fine. I've always thought he would live on, in his wheelchair, smiling, for a very long time. I was astonished to learn it was true," said Guo, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of China.

The British physicist has died at the age of 76, a family spokesperson announced Wednesday.

Hawking, a towering figure in the modern history of physics, authored several science best-sellers, including "A Brief History of Time," despite becoming wheelchair-bound a few years after being diagnosed with a motor neuron disease in 1963.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang expressed China's deep condolences at the passing of Hawking and extended sincere sympathies to his family.

"Hawking made a great contribution to science and humanity," Lu said, adding Hawking was very fond of Chinese culture, and had realized his wish to reach the Great Wall, with the help of his assistants.

Hugo Award-winning author Liu Cixin expressed his grief over the death of Hawking.

"There are people who can only flicker their eyelids, but their thoughts may travel far into space. There are those whose bodies are robust and strong, but their minds are weak and they are destined to live their entire lives dependent on others," the science-fiction writer said.

In the end of one of Liu's short stories, Hawking, on behalf of humankind, asks the ultimate question to an alien: "What is the purpose of the Universe?"

No answer appears in the sky. The smile on the alien's face disappears, and a flash of unnoticeable panic occurs in his eyes.

Liu, author of "The Three-Body Problem," was the first Asian writer to receive the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the top sci-fi award, in 2015.

Liu considers Hawking a legendary scientist.

"He has fought serious illness for a long time to obtain outstanding achievements in physics -- in particular, the studies on black holes and cosmology," Liu said.

Liu especially admired Hawking's charm and personality.

"He is very different from other scientists. He went through more hardships than most scientists," Liu added.

Tributes also began pouring in from netizens on Hawking's account on Chinese microblog Weibo.

In his last post, published on Nov. 24, 2017, the physicist presented a video response to a question about life beyond Earth from Wang Junkai, the lead singer of TFBOYS, China's most popular boy band.

The post has received more than 70,000 comments and 217,000 "likes" so far. Nearly 1,000 comments were posted Wednesday, followed by emojis such as candles, praying palms and crying faces.

"A giant in a wheelchair and a great physicist for the world, Hawking has written his legend with a strong spirit," read one comment on Weibo.

Hawking opened the account in April 2016, attracting 1.3 million followers in 8 hours and growing to over 4.6 million followers.

"Greetings to my friends in China! It has been too long!" his first entry said.

Hawking said his first trip to China was in 1985, when he traveled across the country by train.

"In my physical travels, I have only been able to touch the surface of your fascinating history and culture," Hawking said in the post, using the signature S.H. to indicate he was personally making the entry.

Stories and features about him also went viral on WeChat.

"Hawking just left his wheelchair and flew to the stars," commented one netizen.

"He just entered another space -- may he rest in happiness," said another WeChat user.

AN INSPIRATION FOR ALL AND FOREVER

Hawking's A Brief History of Time has long been a bestseller in China's bookstores. On Douban.com, China's leading book rating platform, several hundred readers have put the Chinese version of the book into the category of "want to read" within hours of his passing.

According to Douban's book entry, more than 5,000 people are currently reading the book, over 27,000 have read it and another 26,800 want to.

Amazon's China site has launched a webpage dedicated to Hawking, saying that reading the master's classics is the best way to pay tributes to him.

A Brief History of Time remains the first place on the sales list of the website under the category of astronomy, which is refreshed every hour.

On China's major online book retailer Dangdang.com, this book received more than 240,000 comments and ranked second in the past 24 hours on the sales list of science education.

EXPLORATION NEVER ENDS

In 2015, Hawking participated in launching the Breakthrough Listen program to search for intelligent extraterrestrial communications in the Universe.

The FAST radio telescope in China also joined the initiative for a coordinated search, including the rapid sharing of promising new signals for additional observation and analysis.

Located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, has a receiving area equivalent to about 30 football fields.

Since FAST started trial operations in September 2016, it has discovered 51 stars, which bear features similar to pulsars, and 11 of them have been confirmed as new pulsars by observatories in other countries.

Li Di, chief scientist of the NAOC radio astronomy division, said an individual scientist's curiosity is closely bound up with the fate of all mankind. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a precious treasure for the world.

"In this regard, Professor Hawking set a noble example for all Chinese scientists," Li said.

(Ji Shaoting and Qiu Mengyang contributed to the story.)

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001370391621
大发彩票 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票