A memorial service(bid) farewell to "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping (hold) in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province on Monday.
Despite it (be) a busy work day, thousands of people wearing black came to the Mingyangshan Mortuary House in the city, the memorial service was held at 10 am, to present bouquets(花束) and bunches of rice and pay tribute(颂词) to Yuan.
The top rice scientist, who developed the first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, died of organ (fail) at age 91 on Saturday would give each of his children﹩20. This was the 1970s, and﹩20 was quite a bit of money.
The agronomist(农学家)spent over five decades (research) and improving hybrid rice, which has reached its third generation, helping China workgreat wonder -- feeding nearly one-fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's total arable(适合耕种的) land.
People from all walks of life in China and abroad expressed their condolences after Yuan's death, which indicated that his contribution to the hybrid rice industry has been(wide) recognized and highly praised, Zhao Lijian, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a news conference in Beijing on Monday.
"His death is a great loss to China and the world, and he (remember) by people", Zhao said.
He added that academician Yuan not only belongs to China, but also to the world. His lifelong dream was to see hybrid rice to be planted around the world,no one will be left hungry.
