Jia Mingxuan Wins Gold Prize

Using steel tubes from a local store and recycled plastic bottles, Jia Mingxuan, 14, from northern China's Inner Mongolia, built a device that recently won the top prize at the 77th iENA in Germany.

What's Jia's invention? A simple, automated planting tool to help young trees grow in windy and dry weather in his hometown.

Jia, shy and soft-spoken, wondered if his unpolished, simple invention would win when seeing more than 540 inventions from young innovators worldwide, ranging from surgical robots to brain-computer interface devices at the 2025 iENA junior competition.

iENA is one of the world's top invention shows. To take part in the event, Jia made his first trip abroad. He never imagined he could end up with a gold medal.

"They gave out bronze and silver medals. My name was not called. I thought I lost," Jia recalled. "Then they called my name for gold! I could not believe it."

One of the judges, Oliver Mayer, said they were impressed by both the teenager from rural China and his invention. He recalled Jia walking on the stage in a traditional Mongolian robe to receive the medal. Everyone clapped for him.

Jia's invention uses simple science to help solve a real-world problem.