BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- For millennia, the Red Planet has inspired poetry, sparked curiosity, and captured our imagination as a distant point of light in the night sky. Today, though, Mars has become a place one can walk into, touch and even help build.
A 574-million-year-old piece of Mars, millions of kilometers of interplanetary travel compressed into a seven-minute ride, and a chance to stamp one's own "Martian citizenship" -- a new immersive exhibition "Oho! Mars" at the Beijing Planetarium has offered visitors a tactile and interactive journey through the Martian landscape, exploration history and future human settlement scenarios.
Backed by authoritative deep-space exploration data, the exhibition, which runs from July 1 to Jan. 3, 2027, has integrated genuine meteorite specimens, full-scale dioramas, multimedia flight simulators and hands-on construction games. Its goal is to turn abstract astronomical knowledge into a tangible, playful experience for visitors.
A centerpiece of the show is the dedicated meteorite gallery, where four precious Martian rock samples from the planetarium's collection are exhibited together for the first time, according to the host planetarium.
Among them, the TISSINT meteorite, a volcanic basalt erupted from Mars approximately 574 million years ago, provides a rare physical window into the planet's late-stage volcanic activity and atmospheric composition.
Arranged around a model of China's Mars rover Zhurong and set against simulated red soil, these interplanetary messengers allow the public to observe unique mineral textures up close, offering what curators call "the closest possible encounter with Mars."
The exhibition departs from traditional display panels by constructing a continuous, story-driven Martian world. A lively cartoon mascot guides attendees through the space, while large-scale red-landscape backdrops and dramatic lighting recreate the ochre hues of the Martian surface.
BUILDING A LIFE ON MARS
The highlight is a simulated flight capsule that uses immersive panoramic projections to take visitors on a seven-minute interplanetary journey -- from the quiet of space travel, through rover crossings of vast canyons, to a final landing at a future human outpost.
The exhibition includes interactive zones designed to make science fun and accessible. Visitors can operate a mock mining vehicle for hands-on remote-controlled ore extraction, and sift through a sorting pool to hunt for simulated Martian minerals.
A Martian laboratory invites visitors to experiment with simulated soil blends and observe how different formulations affect plant germination, offering a glimpse into the challenge of farming on a barren world, according to the exhibition organizers.
Nearby, a block-building station challenges participants to construct shelters capable of withstanding radiation and micrometeorite impacts, complemented by exhibits detailing four experimental methods for turning Martian regolith into building materials, which are all based on real scientific research into off-world construction.
A puzzle-based resource-matching game explains the logistics of constructing a Martian base, while a timeline illustrates the evolution of Martian habitats across three generations, chronicling the transition from crammed underground shelters to glass-enclosed, light-filled living spaces.
At the end of the tour, a "Mars ID registration" station issues personalized citizenship cards for the fictional "Xinghuo City," or Spark City in English.
The exhibition also looks to the future, showcasing a mock "Mars Daily" newspaper with stories from the year 2126 and a themed "interstellar market" displaying imaginative everyday items that may be used by the colonists of tomorrow.
Beyond hands-on activities, the exhibition also outlines practical pathways for future Mars missions.
"All exhibition content is based on rigorous scientific research," said exhibition organizers. One such route, the "lunar springboard," proposes that spacecraft first dock at a lunar orbital station or surface base for refueling and resupply before departing the Moon's low-gravity environment for Mars, which cuts launch costs from Earth while offering a safe haven for repairs and emergency contingencies. ■
