Many Chinese take him for KFC's Colonel Sanders. But David Evans is a scientist. And he takes chemistry to young kids so that it can be heard, seen and enjoyed.

Science is no longer hard. For these children, it has become a "magical journey."

After watching David's experiments, Ding Yixuan, a six grader from Zhanlanlu Number One School said, "I used to think science and chemistry were boring. Chemistry doesn't have to be boring, but also bringing pleasure and wonder."

This year alone David has presented hundreds of experiments to students around the country.

By combining the chemicals to produce oxygen, David has brought the simplest yet most essential chemical equation alive.

But David has something else, perhaps even more important, to teach.

"It's so important to have a try. Like David said, we need to have guts to always ask why, and to be creative," said Zou Anyue, another six grader at Zhanlanlu Number One School.

"So hopefully even the children who decide not to take up science and take up something else, they could use scientific way for thinking," said David , the professor at Beijing University of Chemical Technology.

This is David's eighth year conducting popular science experiments for kids.

In China, reaching a wider audience means getting on social media.

David livestreams his experiments on one of China's hottest short video platforms.

The breathtaking experiments have racked up hundreds of thousands of views and made him an internet celebrity.

But looking back, his biggest experiment is China.

"When I was 11 or 12, just starting middle school, I have two hobbies. One was chemistry, the other was China," David said.

He first came to China in 1987 and decided to settle here in 1996.

The decision came with doubts from colleagues and families.

Professor D.M.Ohare has known David for more than 40 years since they studied at Oxford.

He still recalled the moment hearing about David's decision decades ago.

"Amazing. Brave. I didn't know that he could speak Chinese. So we were worried about how he would communicate with people. Was he going to a job? Did he have a job? So many questions," Ohare said.

From Oxford to Beijing, and from academia to popular science, David always seems "a first of its kind" to his old pal.

"That would be his legacy. He will be regarded for that work, because without that, we don't get the next generation of young scientists. I always think that professors only see the products of teacher."

David is also an inspiration to his Chinese colleagues.

"Every time on a business trip he carries a huge bag containing all the essential chemicals and devices. But he never allows others to help," said Guan Changfeng, party secretary of the Beijing University of Chemical Technology.

And every day he helps to instill passion for science and creativity in the hearts of children.

His message: Science is all around, and you just need to try.