On May 22, the ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of Academician Yuan Longping's passing and launching the translation and publication project for the English version of the Yuan Longping Collection was held in De'an County, Jiangxi Province, the ancestral home of Yuan Longping.

The Yuan Longping Collection is a book published by the Hunan Science & Technology Press, edited by Bai Lianyang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the National Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice. The compilation work began after the passing of Academician Yuan Longping in 2021. Totaling 12 volumes, the book collects Yuan's academic works, research papers, and previously unpublished manuscripts such as his teaching plans, letters, and research diaries from the early 1960s to his death in May 2021. In March 2026, the book won the 6th China Publishing Government Award.

Pan Xiaoshan, president of the Hunan Science & Technology Press, stated at the launch ceremony that Academician Yuan Longping was grounded in paddy fields, changing the world with a single seed, and deeply etching his dream of "enjoying the cool under the rice crops taller than men" into the hearts of billions. The translation and publication of the Yuan Longping Collection (English version) is both an important initiative for the Hunan Science & Technology Press to systematically showcase the significant achievements of a Chinese scientist to the world, and a vivid practice of telling China's stories well and promoting the spirit of scientists.

Yang Yaosong, secretary to Academician Yuan Longping and a researcher, said that Academician Yuan pursued his dreams of "enjoying the cool under the rice crops taller than men" and the dream that "hybrid rice would be grown around the globe" throughout his life. With the official launch of the translation and publication of the Yuan Longping Collection (English version), it is hoped that the book will disseminate the core technology of hybrid rice worldwide, helping countries around the world alleviate food shortages and fulfilling the lifelong ideals of Academician Yuan Longping.

Ma Xianzhong, Xu Weizhi, Wang Xiaofei, and Yang Jie spoke on behalf of the four units responsible for funding, publishing, proofreading, and translating work for the book, respectively. They expressed their full commitment to ensuring the compilation and publication of the book, advancing Academician Yuan's academic thought and the spirit of scientists to the world. The attending guests jointly unveiled the advance copy of the Yuan Longping Collection (English Edition). President Pan Xiaoshan, on behalf of the Hunan Science & Technology Press, donated the Chinese edition to De'an County and received a certificate of donation.

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

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan