Just two decades ago, China was a newcomer in lunar exploration.

Today, it's accomplishing what no other nation has: returning samples from the moon's mysterious far side — a historic feat offering scientists a rare opportunity to uncover new insights about the moon.

But this story is about more than just rocks.

Why have China's lunar exploration efforts captivated the global scientific community? And perhaps more importantly, what does this ambitious program mean for the world at large? CGTN's Chen Yilin has been digging deeper to bring you the answers.