Yuan Longping (1930-2021), "Father of Hybrid Rice" dies

[liuzhou]

Yuan Longping (袁隆平), the Chinese agronomist, known throughout China and beyond for being the first to develop modern rice hybrids died in Changsha, Hunan on May 22nd, 2021, aged 91.

 

Here is the Wikipedia page on his achievements.

 

Quote

Yuan Longping (Chinese: 袁隆平; born September 7, 1930) is a Chinese agronomist, known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s.

Hybrid rice has since been grown in dozens of countries in Africa, America, and Asia—providing a robust food source in areas with a high risk of famine. For his contributions, Yuan is always called the "Father of Hybrid Rice" by the Chinese media.

Wikipedia.

 

He is very highly respected in China, as his work not only reduced famine, but helped raise the standard of living among China's rural population.

This news is going viral on China's top social media sites as I write. The country is mourning a national hero.
 

Edited May 22, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

This news was released at 11 am, China time, but proved to be premature. He had been taken to hospital. However, at 2 pm, it was confirmed that he had passed way.

Edited May 22, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

 

Yuan Longping's dream - in English.

Edited May 22, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Spectacular work by a passionate man. Thanks for the heads up. As with the recent vaccine development, so much background work goes on by hardworking scientists in plant genetics and breeding thatwe never know of or acknowledge.

[liuzhou]

Here is a short news report (in English) from Changsha as Yuan Longping's body is transferred from the hospital to the undertakers. People came out to say goodbye and traffic stopped to let him pass.

Have a look at some of the comments below. I can't remember or imagine anything like those being expressed about any western scientist.  I was a baby when Einstein died and although Stephen Hawking was widely admired, it wasn't really for his research, but for his surviving so long. Neither Einstein's or Hawking's work had a profound influence on people's daily lives. Few even understood it. Subsistence farmers certainly knew what hugely increased rice yields meant to them. Please remember that, when Yuan developed his hybrids, 80% of China's population was rural and a large percentage of them were leading subsistence lives. Suddenly, they had excess to sell, thereby improving their living standards.

Almost every Chinese person I know has posted some tribute on Chinese equivalents of Twitter or Facebook. Chinese friends now in the UK and the USA have done so on both Chinese and Western portals. Chinese television is broadcasting 2 to 3 hour tribute programs.

I haven't know anything like this since Princess Diana died in France in 1997, although I missed most of that (I was internet-less in China at the time, but caught up later.)

 

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Here is a longer video showing more of his leaving the hospital which more clearly shows people's reactions. It is in Chinese and is preceded by a two minute interview with him, again in Chinese. Skip that if you want!
 

 

[liuzhou]

Nice short tribute from VOA News here.