Six months after Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice," passed away, a ceremony to bury his ashes was held on Monday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.
Yuan is renowned for developing the first hybrid rice strain that relieved countless people of hunger. He died of organ failure at 91 on May 22.
Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, Yuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has helped China work a great wonder -- feeding nearly one-fifth of the world's population with less than nine percent of the world's total land.
His research not only helped end starvation in China, but also transformed the world's food situation, with new records constantly established.
In 2019, Yuan was awarded the Medal of the Republic, China's highest state honor.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
