At 13:07 on May 22, 2021, Yuan Longping, winner of the "Medal of the Republic", academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, director of the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, and former vice chairman of the CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee, died of illness at the age of 91.
 
Yuan Longping is a pioneer in the research and development of hybrid rice in China. He is also the first scientist in the world who successfully utilized the Heterosis of rice. He is known as the "father of hybrid rice".
 
"He is a real cultivator," wrote Yuan Longping in the award speech of "moving China". When he was a village teacher, he had the courage to subvert the world authority; When he was famous all over the world, he still only focused on the field, indifferent to fame and wealth, a farmer, sowing wisdom, harvest wealth. His lifelong dream is to keep everyone away from hunger.