The “Chinese Eye of the Sky” Radio Telescope (FAST) center in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, was exposed for illegally operating a hotel, involving collusion between the National Astronomical Observatory and the local government for financial gain. Former Guizhou media person Fu Song disclosed the matter in a post, saying that after reporting it to the Central Inspection Team a week ago, he was investigated by the Guizhou local political and legal committee, his friends were questioned by the police at home, and his company was maliciously reported.
On October 20, former Guizhou investigative journalist Fu Song posted on his WeChat public account “Friends’ Circle for Chasing the Moon and Counting Stars”, revealing a series of retaliatory events he faced after reporting the illegal profiteering at the “Chinese Eye of the Sky”.
Fu Song mentioned in the post that in May of this year, a reader called him and disclosed that the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” had become a money-making tool. The reader mentioned spending over 2000 yuan to stay at a hotel named “Beyond Light Years”, which facilitated their entry into the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” area. Subsequently, Fu Song decided to conduct a secret investigation into the involved hotel.
On the evening of May 21 at 9:27 pm, Fu Song paid 2688 yuan on the Ctrip travel app platform, booking a twin room at the “Beyond Light Years Hotel at Chinese Eye of the Sky”. The next morning, he drove with two friends to the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” area based on the location provided by the hotel.
The article introduced a manned gate with security guards, but they did not conduct any security checks, only allowing them to register after getting off the car, and then permitting them to bring phones and other electronic devices into the core area of the “Chinese Eye of the Sky”.
The security guards clearly stated that others couldn’t enter, but they could because the hotel had made prior arrangements. They then realized that the “Beyond Light Years” hotel was located inside the core area of the “Chinese Eye of the Sky”.
That day, they completed the check-in procedures, accompanied by a guide, and visited the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” circle beam, taking pictures as per the situation disclosed by the reader.
Through investigations, he found out that the hidden boss behind the “Beyond Light Years Hotel” was the National Astronomical Observatory. According to public information, Jiang Peng, the “head” of the “Chinese Eye of the Sky”, is a member of the 14th National People’s Congress, Vice Director of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Executive Vice Director and Chief Engineer of the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” FAST Operation and Development Center, and Executive Director of the Guizhou Radio Astronomy Observatory.
On June 23, Fu Song submitted the collected information to the Central Inspection Team currently stationed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, what he didn’t anticipate was a series of troubles that followed his report.
Fu Song explained that first, a friend who accompanied him in the investigation was visited by local police on the evening of June 30, interrogated about the reported matter. Fu Song’s friend blamed him, saying, “They must have discovered I was with you when we went to the ‘Chinese Eye of the Sky’ on May 22, and that’s why they came to my house to inquire about the relevant situation. This indicates that they hit a sore spot and are about to strike back… when you return to Guizhou, they will arrest you right outside the train station.”
Subsequently, Fu Song received a call from the local leadership in his jurisdiction, inquiring about his actions and informing him that the political and legal committee wanted to understand his situation. Shortly after, he received a call from personnel of the administrative supervisory department, asking about his actions and stating, “Someone has complained and reported your company and distillery, and we need to conduct a routine inspection at your place.”
Fu Song expressed in the post, “I really do not understand why the cost of reporting with real names is so high, what is wrong with real-name reporting?”
It is reported that Fu Song only received a reply from the National Astronomical Observatory in September, stating that a task force had been set up to investigate. However, during the “Golden Week” holiday in October, the “Beyond Light Years” hotel located in the core area of the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” was still openly selling online, with prices starting at over 6000 yuan for the holiday period, with some room types already sold out, and the operators continued to allow visitors to bring phones and other electronic devices into the core area.
After Fu Song disclosed the incident on October 11, the Chinese Academy of Sciences responded on October 17, stating that a task force had been established to conduct a thorough investigation.
Fu Song’s post was later deleted, but it was saved on overseas websites.
Public information indicates that the so-called “Chinese Eye of the Sky” refers to the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), inaugurated on September 25, 2016, in Guizhou. The Communist Party promotes this telescope as the largest in diameter and highest in sensitivity in the world. To prevent interference, Guizhou Province proposed to “protect the ‘Chinese Eye of the Sky’ as one protects one’s eyes” and established a 30-kilometer radius area around the “Chinese Eye of the Sky” site as an “electromagnetic wave quiet zone”, with a 5-kilometer core area strictly prohibiting the entry of electronic products generating electromagnetic radiation like phones, digital cameras, tablets, drones, etc.