“We all stood outside, trying to look in as he ate dinner,” said Ms. He, a teacher who drove 45 minutes to Liang Wenfeng’s hometown. “Many parents brought their young children along, hoping to encourage them to follow his example.”

Today, Ms. He teaches at the same elementary school where Liang studied, where the spirit of “learning from Liang” has become an important part of the school’s mission.

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Liang Wenfeng's record sheet at his primary school. Photo: The Times

From a relative unknown, Liang quickly became a hero welcomed by the whole of China. His hometown in Guangdong and the city of Wuchuan, where his parents lived, took advantage of the opportunity to develop tourism.

The road leading to Liang's house was renamed "Top Scholar Street," while shops catering to tourists quickly sprung up, selling products such as "Top Scholar Cookies," "Top Scholar Sausages," and DeepSeek baseball caps.

At Wuchuan No. 1 High School, where Liang studied, students are encouraged to follow his example. Chen, a senior, said he also wants to pursue computer science in college.

DeepSeek made headlines in January when its AI model was found to perform on par with OpenAI but at a significantly lower development cost.

DeepSeek’s emergence caused a “seismic shock” in the technology market, causing stocks in the industry to fluctuate strongly. Liang was invited to attend a symposium chaired by Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in February.

Professor Steve Tsang from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, commented that Liang's presence on the guest list reflected Xi's desire to affirm his appreciation for the innovations brought by Liang and DeepSeek.

These innovations play an important role in enhancing the global competitiveness of China's economy and technology.

(According to The Times)