On February 24th, the 2019 recipient of China's highest scientific and technological award, National Supreme Science and Technology Award winner, and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Academician Huang Xuhua, celebrated his 100th birthday. In 2020, members of the "Hand Mold Project for National Supreme Science and Technology Award Winners" visited Academician Huang Xuhua's office to collect his hand mold and capture his demeanor. On the eve of his centenary birthday, the project team sent his hand mold to Wuhan, wishing him a happy birthday and long-lasting health.
August 19, 2020, marked the peak of summer in the "furnace" city of Wuhan. The project team rose early, devoured bowls of hot dry noodles, drenched in sweat, hastily returned to the hotel to change clothes, and arrived at the institution where Academician Huang Xuhua was based, punctual as agreed.
An elderly man with snowy hair, youthful countenance, and plain attire approached, leaning on a cane. "Excuse me... Are you Academician Huang?" the project team tentatively asked. It was difficult to reconcile the unassuming figure before them with the pioneering figure who spearheaded China's first-generation nuclear submarine program and laid the foundation for the submarine's development.
Academician Huang Xuhua (Image provided by the project team)
The elderly man nodded, revealing a kindly smile. At the age of 96, he still insists on going to the office every week. Despite his advanced age, Academician Huang Xuhua is in remarkably good health. "It's exactly 1000 steps from my home to the office," he proudly states, referring to his "exercise routine."
"When attending meetings, I often represent the 'three mosts'—the oldest in age, the longest in service, and the longest Party membership," Huang Xuhua chuckles. Born in 1924 and joining the Party in 1949, it's no wonder he's often the epitome of these "three mosts." "Some records say you were born in 1924, while others say 1926. Which one is correct?" "My ID says 1926, so let's go with that," he replies, prompting laughter from everyone.
While Huang Xuhua casually mentions his "longest Party membership," the project team later learns that he joined the Communist Party of China in the spring of 1949 while studying at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Just before the liberation of Shanghai in April 1949, Kuomintang secret agents came to the school to arrest people, and Huang Xuhua, being quick-witted, managed to escape by hiding in the dormitory water room, narrowly avoiding capture. Unfortunately, his classmate and fellow Communist Party member, Mu Hanxiang, was captured by the secret agents and brutally killed more than 20 days later.
The data collection process took nearly an hour, and the project team repeatedly invited Huang Xuhua to rest on the sofa, but he insisted on sitting in the closest chair, engaging with everyone and chatting until the end of the session. This shows his high regard and respect for the project team's work and his caring attitude towards young people. When Huang Xuhua's staff members talk about him, they first mention not his technical expertise or contributions, but his touching stories of caring for employees and their families, as well as his keen attention to detail. His good interpersonal relationships earned him the appreciation of his superiors, the trust of his colleagues, and the support of his subordinates, facilitating smooth progress in the development of nuclear submarines.
During the process of capturing hand models and taking photos, he initially appeared slightly awkward. His secretary took out her phone and said, "Let's send this photo to Auntie Li (Huang Xuhua's wife, Li Shiying)." Instantly, Huang Xuhua's face lit up with a warm smile.
Academician Huang fondly refers to his wife, Mrs. Li Shiying, as the epitome of elegance and grace, dubbing her the "quintessence" of their household. Their family life is characterized by harmony and bliss, with a shared passion for music. They frequently host intimate family concerts, spanning a diverse repertoire from Russian folk songs sung in Russian, to African American spirituals in English, and classical pieces such as "Ode to Joy," "Yáng Guān Three Renditions," "Messiah," and "Christmas Carols." The atmosphere is always filled with joy and melody.
Academician Huang Xuhua posing with the hand mold collection team (provided by the project team).
After the hand mold collection was completed, the project team wanted him to write a message to send to young people across the country. At first, he politely refused. The project team insisted, saying that other scientists had already done so. Seeing this, his secretary intervened and said, "Please excuse us for a moment while we discuss." After a while, the secretary said, "You can come in now." Huang Xuhua took a piece of white paper and prepared to write the message. He wrote, "A pledge for a lifetime's endeavor."
Handwritten Message by Huang Xuhua (Image provided by the project team)
As one of the most advanced naval assets, nuclear submarines emerged in 1954, with countries like the United States and the Soviet Union possessing them. Huang Xuhua, who spent 30 years in obscurity, dedicated himself to the development of nuclear submarines. His mother and siblings had no idea about his work, and he didn't return home even when his father and elder brother passed away, leading to much resentment within the family. Eventually, as his work became declassified, his mother gathered his siblings and said, "For the sake of your third brother (Huang Xuhua), you all need to understand." This simple statement brought tears to Huang Xuhua's eyes.
In 2014, Huang Xuhua was recognized as the "Touching Figure of China" by China Central Television for the year 2013. In an interview, he stated, "Since 1958, I haven't left my post. I've dedicated my entire life, without regret or complaint." "Doing earth-shattering work while living incognito." Perhaps this encapsulates the essence of Huang Xuhua's life.
After completing the lyrics, the project team hoped to turn the message into a video, just like they did for other scientists, with "just one sentence." However, he politely declined. After the unveiling of the "Scientist Handprint Wall" on September 19, 2020, the video of scientists' messages was released and received a strong response. The project team reported the feedback on the video to Huang Xuhua's secretary, expressing regret for not recording a video of Huang Xuhua and inquiring about the possibility of recording one or using a cellphone to record an audio clip as voiceover. The response was, "Academician Huang said, 'Promote other scientists more. We respect Academician Huang's opinion.'"
On October 28, 2021, Huang Xuhua donated 11 million CNY of his personal award money to the 719 Institute as a scientific innovation incentive fund, aiming to inspire more outstanding talents to emerge. "Through my donation, I hope to act as a catalyst, a seed, and evoke a response from society, prompting more people to pay attention to, care for, and support scientific research, education, and popularization." Huang Xuhua has donated over 20 million CNY in various awards, almost all of which have been contributed to national education, scientific research, and science popularization.
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