CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The first national digital archives built in universities across the country was inaugurated in Southwest University. Some little-known precious archives were unveiled for the first time, among which the college student ID card of Yuan Longping, the “father of hybrid rice”, told a past story during his college years.

"We found Yuan Longping's student ID card by surprise when sorting out the university history archives," said Zheng Jinsong, deputy head of Southwest University Archives. The reporter found that the cover of the card reads "Student ID Card of Southwest Agricultural University (the predecessor of Southwest University)", and on the inside page, although turning yellow, details about Yuan Longping's student number, date of admission and registration information of each academic year could still be clearly seen, which showed that his admission date was October 1950, when he was only 19 years old.

It is worth mentioning that there is a handwritten paragraph in ink on the blank page of this student ID card, which reads: "Comrade Longping: Fight to the end to defend our great motherland. Ji Bingqian, July 21, 1951".

What is this all about?

It turned out that in July 1951, Yuan Longping, as a student representative, participated in a report made by a hero delegation of the volunteer army to fight US aggression and aid Korea. After the report finished, feeling excited and encouraged, he squeezed out the crowd, rushed to the rostrum, took out his student ID card, and asked a combat hero to sign his name. Ji Bingqian, a volunteer soldier who was a member of the delegation at that time, smiled at the sight of him and said, "Why do you take your student ID card for my signature while other students take notebooks?" While smiling, Ji Bingqian wrote his wishes and name on the back of Yuan’s student ID card. This signature has accompanied Yuan Longping's college life ever since.

"He also had the idea of going to war." Zheng Jinsong said that in 1952, Yuan Longping registered for the selection of air force pilots, and stood out from more than 800 applicants, becoming one of the eight college students intended to be admitted by the air force. However, due to his status as a college student, he was not allowed to join the army later on.

At the unveiling ceremony of the digital archives, looking at this precious student ID card, many people half-jokingly sighed that there was just one more air force soldier and one less outstanding agricultural scientist. (Translated by Hu Chuanmin, Fathom Language Limited)