# Lanzhou

China Loses a Pioneer of Accelerator Physics: Wei Baowen Dies at 91

Wei Baowen, an eminent Chinese nuclear and accelerator physicist and academician, died in Lanzhou on 17 January 2026 at age 91. As chief engineer of China’s first heavy‑ion accelerator project and former director of the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Accelerator National Laboratory and the Institute of Modern Physics, Wei played a central role in building China’s accelerator science infrastructure and institutions.