Star Trek has influenced people's daily lives. For example, Motorola created its first clamshell mobile phone based on a prototype which appeared in the series.

During the Chinese exhibition, an education program called Star Trek Academy will also be launched for children, offering science lessons.

"A peaceful world outlook and spirit of exploration are the most important messages from Star Trek," Zhang Heqiang, an official with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said at the opening of the show.

"It echoes our goal to promote diplomacy via grassroots communication."

The franchise itself lives on: The next Star Trek film is set to premiere in July, and 2017 will witness the release of a new Star Trek TV series.

That's why Weiying Technology, the Chinese initiator of the exhibition, sees Star Trek: The Exhibition as part of a bigger horizon.

The company recently participated in the production of The Three-Body Problem, a film adapted from an award-winning novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin.

"China's sci-fi fans will be able to embrace more abundant content soon," says Xiang Ming, vice-president of Weiying.

If you go

Star Trek: The Exhibition

10 am-10 pm, daily through Feb 22. The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing.