On March 29, volunteers from the "Grandpa's Rice Fields" initiative gathered at the grave of Academician Yuan Longping to hold their annual memorial event as scheduled. Since 2023, this group of volunteers has made it a tradition to gather on the Sunday before Qingming Festival. They remian committed to honoring their original aspirations and safeguarding the rice fields year after year.

Emmanuel (Chinese name Ling Guang), a volunteer from Ghana, Africa, spoke emotionally in an interview, "I am here today to represent not just myself or my school Jiangsu University, but to represent all international people—especially international students in China—to express our gratitude to Grandpa Yuan Longping, the 'Father of Hybrid Rice' in China. The hybrid rice he developed has benefited billions of people."

Throughout his life, Academician Yuan Longping worked in the rice fields and pursued his dreams, dedicating his entire life to fulfilling his promise to "ensure that everyone in the world has enough to eat." This joint tribute by Chinese and international volunteers not only serves as a heartfelt remembrance of this great man, but also ensures that the "spirit of hybrid rice" resonates across cultures and lives on.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunantoday