The chief designer of China's first generation of nuclear submarines (核潜艇) drew people's attention again recently when he was greeted by President Xi Jinping at a ceremony (典礼) on 21st November, 2017.
To show his respect, President Xi Jinping took him by hand and invited him to sit with him for a group picture at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.
Huang Xuhua, retired director of the Nuclear Submarine Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, led research and development on the nation's first nuclear submarines. On December 26, 1970, Long March First, China's earliest nuclear submarine prototype, set sail onitsfirst voyage. Huang, aged 44 at the time, set the world record as first chief engineer to be onboard a submarine for its test dive.
Being born in the wartime, he had to struggle for a living from an early age. In the face of great difficulties, he made up his mind to pursue achievement in engineering and shipbuilding. In 1944, he was sent on a recommendation to the department of Aeronautic, Centre College. As the top one student, he was admitted to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University just one year later.
After four-year study in the shipbuilding department, he graduated and started his lifelong career in engineering and shipbuilding. He was ordered to lead the team to work on China's nuclear submarine in 1958.
As a result of the strict secrecy system, he could not tell anything about his work to his relatives. With Huang and other scientists' hard work, China's nuclear submarine grew out of nothing and developed from small to large in a very short time. Because of this, Huang Xuhua hasn't gone back to his hometown to visit his parents for just once from 1958 to 1986. He met his 95-year-old mother in 1988 for the first time after 30-year separation. His relatives and the whole country knew nothing about his great contribution until 2013. After his retirement, he still devoted himself to the development of China's nuclear submarine, bringing up a large number of excellent engineers and scientists who continued his work.
As the father of the China's nuclear submarine, he cared nothing about his own life or the fame. There was no air conditioner in his office. He neither owned a car nor a cellphone.
Recalling the early days working on the nuclear submarine, where they had to start from nothing and sometimes use to abacuses (算盘) to do the calculation, Huang said he's proud to be Chinese and called on the young to contribute to the country.
"Young people should remember their responsibility, and connect their personal goals with China's development," he said.
