[In Memory of Hawking] Without accessible routes, how did Mr. Hawking make it to the Great Wall back then?

Hawking visited China three times: he came to Hefei in 1985, gave popular science lectures in Beijing and Hangzhou in 2002, and returned to Beijing in 2006 to attend the International String Theory Conference. Last year, he also started a Chinese-language Weibo account and became an internet celebrity. I’ll commit suicide if I don’t go to the Great Wall. In 1985, Hawking visited China for the first time. For the Chinese people at that time, the name Hawking was not as well-known as it is today, even though Hawking had already achieved remarkable academic success by then. Hawking gave two lectures at the time; one was for the general public, themed “Why does time always move forward?” ”Another professional report is about the formation of black holes. In the 1970s, \"black holes\" were one of the research topics of the astrophysics group at the University of Science and Technology of China; as a result, the university invited this top-ranked black hole physicist to give lectures there on several occasions over a period of four years. It was only due to the specific conditions in Hefei and Hawking’s health issues that this invitation was finally extended in 1985. After leaving Hefei, Hawking went to Beijing, where he suddenly decided to visit the Great Wall without any prior planning. The person in charge of receiving them at that time was Liu Liao, a professor in the Department of Physics at Beijing Normal University; he was one of the first scholars in China to study black hole physics and quantum field theory in curved spacetime. Liu Liao and others explained to Hawking that the Great Wall lacks accessible pathways, making it difficult to accommodate people with mobility issues. But Hawking still insisted on going to the Great Wall, even threatening to commit suicide on the spot if he wasn’t allowed to go. In the end, Liu Liao had no choice but to ask a few graduate students from the physics department to help lift Hawking up.

In 2002, during his second visit to China, Hawking was already highly renowned there. By this time, four years had passed since the publication of his book \"A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.\" Starting with the study of black holes, this book explores the origin and fate of the universe. It has been translated into over 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. In the eyes of many, without \"A Brief History of Time,\" Hawking might not have achieved the same level of fame as Nash, the mathematician who also suffered from severe illness. \"A Brief History of Time\" truly brought Hawking to the attention of the general public; ordinary people now equate black holes and the universe with Hawking himself. He thus became a myth in the scientific community. However, due to the extremely complex content of the book, it was jokingly referred to in the West as an “Unread Bestseller.” Time magazine once said that most people who bought A Brief History of Time only managed to read (or could only read) the third page. Some scholars have also argued that the reason this book has been so successful is that it attempts to address topics that in the past could only be explored through theology: whether time has a beginning, and whether space has boundaries. ? Hawking’s visit to China this time was facilitated by the renowned mathematician Shing-Tung Yau, who won the Fields Medal in 1982 and became the first Asian mathematician to receive it. In August of that year, Shing-Tung Yau established the Center for Mathematical Sciences at Zhejiang University and held the \"2002 International Conference on String Theory\". Hawking was invited to give an academic lecture titled \"Cosmology of M-Theory\" at the conference, explaining his \"M-Theory\" regarding the evolution of celestial bodies to the Chinese audience. On the projector behind Hawking, three questions appeared: “Kant asked: Why was there infinite time before the universe began?” What is the universe doing during all these times? Why isn’t the universe in thermal equilibrium now? ” Compared to his first visit to Hefei, Hawking’s visit this time was much more lively. After his trip to Hangzhou, Hawking went to Beijing again; this time, at a scientific lecture held at the Beijing International Conference Center, the theme of the lecture was – The Wonderful World of Membranes. The 2,000-seat conference hall was packed to capacity, with black-market tickets selling for 800 yuan each. The day after the report was released, Hawking went to Zhongnanhai, where the then **leader** met with him. Hawking said this time that he was very pleased to return to China after his visit in 1985, and he was deeply impressed by the tremendous progress China has made over the past 17 years. He said that China should maintain and develop its tradition of emphasizing basic science in its future development, as it is basic science that motivates young people to engage in scientific research. He expressed belief that in another 50 years, China is expected to become a leader in world science. Hawking stayed in China for a total of 17 days. He visited the Great Wall once again, this time by riding the sightseeing cable car introduced in 1988.

In 2006, Hawking’s third visit to China brought with him his latest research on cosmology. On June 15, as his first stop in China, Hawking delivered a speech titled “The Origin of the Universe” at the **University of Science and Technology gymnasium. In his speech, Hawking said, “Despite physical disabilities, the mind cannot be halted; others will not stop for you.” Humorous as he is, he comes up with many witty quotes and jokes about his everyday life as well. \"Why, being a true Brit, do I speak with an American accent?\" ”He said, “My text-to-speech synthesizer was made in 1986; it’s American-made. I’ve used it without any major problems, and over time I just got used to it.” If I don’t use it now, I’ll have to use the latest product with a French accent; it’s impossible for my wife not to divorce me! ” After saying goodbye to **, Hawking went to his second stop, Beijing. Upon arriving in Beijing, Hawking first visited the Temple of Heaven, a royal sacrificial garden in China, and walked around the circular platform where the emperor would offer sacrifices to heaven, silently reflecting on China’s traditional philosophy of unity between man and nature.