The 2025 Galaxy Science Fiction Convention, recently branded as Galaxycon, took place in Chengdu from October 18-21, 2025, drawing China’s SF community and an international presence for three days of events centered around the 40th annual Galaxy Awards. Galaxycon was held on the newly developed Chengdu Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island in the Tianfu New Area, Chengdu’s designated high-technology belt. The site was created by Zaha Hadid Architects who also designed the Science Fiction Museum.
Presenting the award to Best Novel winner Yang Wanqing
There were over 8,000 combined online and in-person reported attendees of the con, with over two million people engaging with the events online. The convention’s permanent guests of honor include A Lai and Liu Cixin, alon…
The 2025 Galaxy Science Fiction Convention, recently branded as Galaxycon, took place in Chengdu from October 18-21, 2025, drawing China’s SF community and an international presence for three days of events centered around the 40th annual Galaxy Awards. Galaxycon was held on the newly developed Chengdu Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island in the Tianfu New Area, Chengdu’s designated high-technology belt. The site was created by Zaha Hadid Architects who also designed the Science Fiction Museum.
Presenting the award to Best Novel winner Yang Wanqing
There were over 8,000 combined online and in-person reported attendees of the con, with over two million people engaging with the events online. The convention’s permanent guests of honor include A Lai and Liu Cixin, along with Robert J. Sawyer (absent). Included in those attending were around 300 guests from multiple countries, including luminaries from the US, Belgium, Britain, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, and Poland, plus an impressive list of domestic authors and publishers.
The opening ceremony was staged in a large dome structure with video walls and projected visuals. The rest of the convention was held in adjacent halls, exhibition spaces, and outdoor pavilions. The crowd was substantial on the first day, but never overwhelming. Panels covered a familiar spread: the future of Chinese SF, translation between East and West, climate fiction, AI ethics, and cross-cultural storytelling. One highlight was the panel “Can Galaxycon Grow into a Worldcon?” which reflected the organizers’ ambitions of growing the event into an international destination. In addition to the formal panels, film screenings, author signings, exhibitions, translation salons, and small reading groups were woven into the schedule. There was a pleasing emphasis on art, with large displays of both professional artists and student artists.
Galaxycon site; Cyberpunk 2077 event with Samurai band
The Galaxy Awards, established in 1985 by SFW, were the main highlight of the weekend. For the 40th anniversary, the event was staged as a lavish multimedia show, pairing archival montages with live performances. Highlights include: Best Novel went to **Jin Tao **(Golden Peach) by Yang Wanqing. He also took a Short Story Award for “Lai Ri Fang Chang” (There Will Be Time). Webnovel **Wherefore It Never Ends **by Keyao42 also took Best Original Book. Tianrui Shuofu took the award for Best Online Science Fiction Writer. The Best Sci-Fi Online Literature Award went to **Faulty Utopia **by Fox Tail Brush. Best International Sci-Fi Web Literature went to “Since the Red Moon Appeared” by Laogui Heishan. The Best International Communication Award went to *Clarkesworld. *The complete list of winners can be found on page 7.
Jingdong Books archway
For many Chinese authors and editors, Galaxycon represented a chance to reset after the organizational challenges surrounding Worldcon 2023 in Chengdu (notably the Hugo ballot controversies). The new con’s modest scale allowed for more meaningful connections and was free to all to attend. New SF initiatives were announced like the “Galaxy Project”, partnering publisher Yuewen’s Qidian Reading and SFW, with writers A Lai and Lui Cixin as chief advisors, with the aim to nurture new talent and promote the growth of SF.
See below for a selection of images from the event.
Science Fiction Multiverse panel, Zeng Xiaojie, Yang Chen, Liu Cixin, Igor Sarzyński, Kim Choyeop Children perform at the Galaxy Awards ceremony Galaxy Awards 40th Anniversary cake Tan Kai, Wang Jinkang, Yang Xiao, Qin Li, Jing Ge, Liu Chengshu Liu Cixin, Taiyo Fujii; Nicholas Henry Whyte, Esther MacCallum-Stewart Zoey Zhang, Liza Groen Trombi; Wang Jinkang signing Latssep, Sara Chen; Stella Hua, Nick Wells Locus table: Meige Luo, Zero Blaze; Sichuan University Press table Her Imagination: New Trends in Korean Sci-Fi panel: Kong Xiangxi, Chunxi, Kim Bo-Young, Kim Choyeop, Cheong-ye, Yeon Namkyung, Choi Jiin A Future Without Paper: Sci-Fi Magazines in the AI Era panel: Sara Chen, Neil Clarke, Liza Groen Trombi, Nick Wells Global Sci-Fi: A Multicultural Landscape panel: Wang Fan, Kim Leesak, Kim Bo-Young, Yan Xi, Roderick Leeuwenhart, Taiyo Fujii, Rafał Kosik Liu Zhaokun; Ultraman Live performance Science Fiction youth clubs
Photographers: Galaxycon and Liza Groen Trombi