CHINA DAILY Wednesday, January 23, 2019 | 19 YOUTH Academic Rocket Girls’ gifts prize money to bumpy ride children NANJING — Qian Qihu, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering who on new show recently won the country’s top science award, has decided to donate his full prize money to Members of the all­female pop group help poor children receive an education. are jettisoned out of their comfort zone, Qian, together with another Xu Haoyu reports. academician, Liu Yongtan, was awarded 8 million yuan ($1.18 million) each for their outstand­ ast summer, 11 young 20­something means I can do what I ing contribution to scientific women, with an average want without regard to the danger and technological innovation age of 20, survived the cru­ or the consequences of my actions.” earlier this month. el knockout talent compe­ Fellow cast member Lai Meiyun might be a bit crazy and a bit aggres­ Qian set up the theoretical Ltition, Produce 101, and formed a added: “At the fresh age of 20, I can sive, but it helps you to break system for China’s modern pop music group named Rocket enjoy the present with all my heart, through the barrier and outgrow defense engineering and con­ Girls 101. no matter what it brings to me.” yourself.” tributed to creating a below­ In December, it was arranged for Whatever their thoughts, nobody Being pop idols, singing and danc­ ground defense infrastructure. them to live in the Sahara Desert can deny that they had an unforget­ ing on stage, members of the all­fe­ Qian said on Jan 16 he has and the Carpathian Mountains as table experience during their four male group can easily get drowned decided to use the money to set part of an online adventure reality days and three nights in the dry, hot in cheers and screams, and woo fans up a student aid fund in his show, Hengchongzhizhuang Ershis­ desert. with their winks and smiles. Off­ hometown Kunshan, East Chi­ ui (“the 20­something adventur­ They could not use their cell­ stage, however, they are still just na’s Jiangsu province, to help ers”), produced by Tencent Video. phones because there was no signal ordinary people with the same vul­ more poor children gain access During the trip, there were tears and little electricity; they could not nerabilities as the rest of us, Xie says. to schools. and there was laughter — tears due do their makeup in the harsh condi­ With the show, he says, the pro­ Since 2006, the 82­year­old to the unfamiliar and extreme con­ tions; and gone were the cute out­ duction team hopes to encourage professor has personally assist­ ditions that challenged their physi­ fits in lieu of functional, outdoor more young Chinese to step out of ed 17 poor students in the city cal and psychological strength, and gear designed for tramping around their comfort zone. The show made with funding of more than laughter born from their sisterly the desert. Top: The young members of Rocket Girls 101, a pop music group, in them realize that many young peo­ 200,000 yuan, according to local concern for each other and the cour­ Moreover, the food was, accord­ the Sahara Desert for the shooting of an adventure reality show. ple have the desire to take adven­ officials. age they summoned to conquer the ing to their accounts, “terrible”. For Above: The participants lend a hand to each other often on the way. tures but they are hesitant and “To serve the country and difficulties they faced. example, they initially hated the PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY scared to take the leap. society is the duty of a soldier. “Before their departure for the dry baguette, but after several days “These girls bear all the features of Receiving the award is definite­ desert, our production team asked of thirst and hunger, they cried over the younger generations of Chinese,” ly an honor but it also means these young women how they per­ how delicious they thought it was. After 16 hours of traveling from teammates, however, did not aban­ Xie says, adding that he wishes to see more responsibility,” says Qian, ceived the rampaging age of the Many of them showed signs of Beijing to Tunisia and spending don her to her tantrums, but gath­ more youngsters “communicate who is a professor with the 20­something and they provided depression, but they eventually got time in the desert, Yang just could ered around to comfort her. with constellations, and with one­ Army Engineering University. their own answers,” Xie Dikui, through the challenges together, not take more Western food. The show’s director Xie uses four self, to explore a wider world”. Qian’s charitable behavior has director of the show, said at a pro­ and in the process, solidified their After having half a plate of grilled words to describe the young wom­ The show is being aired from Jan been praised by numerous Chi­ motional event in Beijing on Jan 11. friendship. tuna, she started to pull her hair and en’s mood swings during its filming 13 through early March on a Tencent nese internet users. Wu Xuanyi, 23, responded to the Yang Chaoyue, 20, is seen in the twist her body, muttering, “I have to — “excited, anxious, exhausted and platform, with a new episode every Many people paid tribute to question: “At my age, I am fearless of final edit crying so often that it is eat rice. I feel sick. I need chili sauce.” relieved”. Sunday. him online and said they were pain or failure.” unsurprising that it was she who Her meltdown reached its pinna­ “How to define the age of deeply touched. Another participant, 20­year­old provided the show’s first “drama cle with her suddenly pounding the 20­something? It’s the once­in­a­ Contact the writer at Meng Meiqi, said: “Being a queen” moment. chair and bursting into tears. Her lifetime experience,” he says. “It [email protected] XINHUA.