More than 250 high school students from Beijing visited the Anhui Innovation Pavilion in Hefei – the capital of East China's Anhui province – on Nov 16.

With over 2,100 high-tech exhibits, the students were amazed by the technology on display.

The Anhui Innovation Pavilion has received around 140,000 visitors since the start of the year.

Exhibition supervisor Zhou Lamei said that during summer, the pavilion was receiving two groups of study tour groups every day, with the peak number at around 5,000 people in a single day.

Students learn about non-contact clinical equipment in the Hefei high-tech zone on April 22. [Photo/WeChat ID: hefeigaoxinfabu]

The Anhui Innovation Pavilion is not alone. Other scientific and technological universities and companies in Hefei – including the University of Science and Technology of China, Science Island, the Science and Technology Museum, GraphinCo and NIO – have also become popular attractions for study tours.

The surge in popularity for science-themed tours has sparked a new trend in consumer demand for science and innovation culture, which has in turn has become a new growth point.

The reason people think Hefei has quickly gained attention and stood out is due to its enormous productivity that has long been focused on scientific innovation, as well as the reputation that's followed.

Hefei folks have a VR experience of a future mission on the moon at an exhibition held on April 24, on China Aerospace Day. [Photo/WeChat ID: hefeigaoxinfabu]

As a comprehensive national science center, Hefei is also home to a number of national-level laboratories, world-class major scientific and technological centers, universities and new research and development institutions.