Hong Kong, China / Access Newswire / September 17, 2025 / In Wenxie County, Shanghai County, located in the Loess Mountains of northern China, children in cave-like classrooms connect live music with teachers from Shanghai, Deep Shenzhen and abroad. Mercury Academy. Unlike pre-recorded video lectures, this system allows for real-time participation. Students develop virtual hands, scribbles on shared whiteboards, and get instantly recognized one child avatar and are illuminated with a digital crown to answer correctly.
This pilot session is part of a broader experiment led by 19-year-old founder of Mercury Academy, Tang Yingxi. A comparison with Salman Khan was created by launching Khan Academy from his home computer over a decade ago. The difference lies in the medium. If Khan uses the Internet, Tang uses artificial intelligence (AI).
From Khan to Tan: Two Generations of Educational Reform
Salman Khan's journey is widely known. The hedge fund analyst documented the math tutorial for cousins who grew up at Khan Academy and is currently serving more than 100 million learners worldwide.
Tang's trajectory was not very linear. He dropped out of primary school after a toxic encounter with a teacher and later failed the Beijing high school entrance exam. His turning point has passed Future literacya project-based curriculum created by his father, restored his confidence and sense of purpose.
By the age of 17, Tang had won the Zayed Sustainability Award at COP28 in Dubai, becoming a Chinese high school student to win the award for the first time in 17 years. This experience reinforced his belief in adaptive learning systems. He has since taken leave from Minnel University, one of the most selective institutions in the world to establish the Mercury Academy. His stated mission: Promoting education equity in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
AI ERA: Addressing the gap between 2 million students
Analysts estimate that at least 2 million Chinese students are currently in traditional schools due to illness, flexible learning needs, or the pursuit of artistic and movement.
For years, pre-recorded video courses were advertised as solutions, but often failed learners' involvement. “The problem is not access to content, it's the lack of interaction and feedback,” Tang explained in a statement.
Mercury Academy's Mercury Forum Platform shows you some innovations.
