Shen Jilan is a lifelong lawmaker. In 1954, she became a deputy (代表) to the National People’s Congress. Since then, she has served at all 13 NPCs. She came up with the idea of equal pay for equal work between men and women. The idea was written into China’s first constitution (宪法) in 1954.

Sun Jiadong made great contributions toward developing Chinese satellite technology and space exploration. He was the chief designer of both the Beidou navigation (导航) system and China’s lunar exploration project.

Zhang Fuqing was a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army during the Liberation War. He was twice awarded the title of Combat Hero. In 1955, he volunteered to work in a remote (偏远的) county in Hubei province and has been helping poor people there ever since.

Tu Youyou, a scientist, is known for winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. She got inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine theories and discovered artemisinin, a medicine that can be used to cure malaria. Her finding has saved the lives of millions.