Yuan Longping Let Chinese People Have Enough Rice to Eat: The Father of Hybrid Rice Should Not Be Forgotten

Yuan Longping is not merely a name, nor does it merely represent Mr. Yuan as an individual; what it best represents is a spirit, a spirit that makes countless Chinese sons and daughters proud. This spirit I call the spirit of "taking root."

Taking root means taking root with both legs covered in mud for decades.

Taking root means taking root while remaining true to one's original aspiration even with glory gathered upon oneself.

Taking root means taking root while still fighting on the front line at the age of one hundred.

Taking root means taking root while never forgetting national humiliation and striving for the prosperity of the motherland.

Taking root means taking root in the ordinary, staying steadfast when everyone is buzzing with heated discussion.

While we are still debating online whether Mr. Yuan should be forgotten or remembered, Mr. Yuan is still there continuing to devote himself quietly to rice research, neither servile nor overbearing, neither elated nor sorrowful. Such a contrast between restlessness and quiet dedication is something that should be remembered in itself.

A person who can stir up heated media discussion just by his name will surely be remembered by history. A netizen published an article titled "Please Temporarily Forget Yuan Longping," which sparked widespread discussion among netizens. Major media outlets such as People's Daily Online, China Youth Daily, and Sohu all published articles for discussion. After browsing for two hours, most of them were pushback against the article about forgetting Yuan Longping. Why does Mr. Yuan, who by his name alone can make his supporters rise up in mighty ranks to denounce this article, have such great power? And why should he be remembered by history?

Mr. Yuan's contributions to agriculture can roughly be grouped into three aspects. The first is being the pioneer of the hybrid rice cause, discovering and making full use of the heterosis of rice. The second is providing full protection for national food security. Using rice heterosis, or indirectly using this principle for rice seed production, greatly increased rice yields. The third is cultivating a large batch of rice research talent. Under his leadership, a large group of hybrid rice researchers fought in coordination, shouldering the important task of continuing to advance hybrid rice breeding.

However great a responsibility a person can bear, so great a honor can he bear. As a winner of the first National Highest Science and Technology Award, was the honor behind it something Mr. Yuan fought and strove for in order to win the award? It was not. This honor was not his goal; in his view, it was a responsibility the country placed upon him. When you see this dark-skinned, thin old man, do you not feel in your heart a steady, immense, incomparably strong and towering figure?

Standing at the crest of the wave, sheltering breeders far and wide from wind and rain, and creating a tranquil environment for scientific research, how could Mr. Yuan be forgotten? The attention and deep affection that society and the country gave Mr. Yuan were attributed by him to attention to agricultural work. What he most wanted to do was actually not to have won any national-level grand award or to have gained the title of Father of Hybrid Rice, but simply to have a calm environment in which to do the work he should do. To contribute to breeding work, to contribute to the country, to contribute to what, to contribute to food security, and that is all.

The spirit of "taking root" is also deeply implanted in the hearts of breeding workers. The article "Forgetting Mr. Yuan" mentions Ding Ying. Ding Ying's statue in front of the teaching building of South China Agricultural University has weathered decades of wind and rain; how can it be said that nine out of ten people do not know him? His student, Academician Lu Yonggen, was named a 2017 Person Who Moved China, with countless honors in his life, and he donated his lifetime savings despite dragging along a sick body. Lu Yonggen's student, Academician Liu Yaoguang, is currently also a banner in the field of hybrid rice breeding, and the vectors and laboratory techniques he constructed are provided free of charge to breeders nationwide.

This spirit of taking root is passed down from generation to generation, handed on like a torch, and never decays! How could, how dare, how can the spirit of Yuan Longping be forgotten?

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