Young Beijing woman the 'voice' of Yutu

Behind the popular micro-blog account for Yutu, China's first lunar rover, is a young woman in Beijing, Chinese media reported on Monday, disproving the conclusion of many people that the account is run by the government.

Since its emergence on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, on Dec 1, the account using the name Lunar Rover Yutu has garnered more than 500,000 followers.

It releases information and updates of the rover's operation on the moon with a first-person narrative and in a timely manner, leading to speculation that the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, which oversees the nation's space program, was running the account.

However, a Xi'an Daily report revealed that instead of a bunch of scientists, a young woman in Beijing is responsible for speaking on behalf of the hi-tech mechanical rabbit.

The unofficial spokeswoman — her account is not authenticated as belonging to any government department — is working for a joint effort by Xinhua News Agency and a private website that aims to promote knowledge of the moon and China's lunar exploration program, according to the report.

A host of scientists and engineers voluntarily provide the latest news about Yutu, it added.