First ‘Star Trek’ fan meeting in Beijing

Attendees were led through a narrow corridor in the mall where they could take photos of cardboard “Star Trek” stars and admire collectible figurines in glass cases.

“Star Trek Day” is celebrated every year on September 8 to commemorate the launch of the original American series in 1966, which has many fans around the world.

Inside the main hall, fans tried to win prizes in themed competitions, and were able to watch previews of a series scheduled to be broadcast soon by official Chinese partner Youku, a subsidiary of financial services and media giant Alibaba.

The “Star Trek” series has recently gained popularity in China, especially among female audiences, according to Zhou Yi (42 years old). “The atmosphere is very nice. We can discuss anything and everything,” Zhou told AFP.

Paramount has a niche audience in China, but interest in science fiction has increased with the recent success of several local films.

Many fans gathered at this shopping center in central Beijing wore the brand’s galactic travel costume or the pointed ears of the Vulcan alien species.

“I think there is a kind of sense of spatial utopia,” said Ma Yuanyuan, 36, a translator and longtime fan.

She said the main attraction of “Star Trek” is the nostalgia the series creates for the early days of space exploration. “The best fantasy at that time was what we thought was our future.”

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series consisting of 79 50-minute episodes, created by Gene Roddenberry and broadcast between September 8, 1966 and June 3, 1969 on the American network NBC, before touring around the world.