Today (the 7th)

China Shipbuilding 719 Institute issued an obituary

Outstanding member of the Communist Party of China

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Recipient of the Medal of the Republic and the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award

Chief Designer of China's First-Generation Nuclear Submarine ProjectHuang Xuhua

passed away at 20:30 on February 6 in Wuhan, Hubei, after medical treatment proved ineffective

at the age of 99

Huang Xuhua lived in anonymity for 30 years

for the development of China's nuclear submarine industry

made outstanding contributions

01 Beneath the water, not seeking fame

Huang Xuhua graduated from National Chiao Tung University (now Shanghai Jiao Tong University) with a degree in shipbuilding. In 1958, China's nuclear submarine project, a top state secret, was officially launched. Huang Xuhua joined the "Nuclear Submarine General Design Group" and became one of the first 29 people involved in nuclear submarine development.

"First, once you enter this field, you cannot leave and must work in it for a lifetime; second, you must never disclose the name, location, mission, or nature of the work of your unit; third, you must be an unsung hero for a lifetime and never seek fame." When people asked Huang Xuhua whether he could bear this,

he said: Yes. In joining the nuclear submarine work, I am like a nuclear submarine, hidden beneath the water,not seeking fame"

A nuclear submarine is a complex and enormous systems engineering project. At the start of the project, all the researchers, including Huang Xuhua, had never seen what a nuclear submarine looked like. They came up with many makeshift methods to solve cutting-edge technical problems: without computers to calculate core data, they used abacuses, slide rules, and even platform scales to solve the center-of-gravity problem of the nuclear submarine.

On December 26, 1970, China's first torpedo-attack nuclear submarine was launched, and on August 1, 1974, it was officially delivered and incorporated into the combat sequence of the People's Navy. China became the fifth country in the world to possess a nuclear submarine. The speed astonished the world.

02 The world's first chief designer of a nuclear submarine to participate in a deep-dive test

In 1988, China's nuclear submarine development work ushered in a key day. The "Long March No. 4" nuclear submarine, hull number 404, was to conduct a deep-dive test in the South China Sea at its design limit.

Before the test, the participants were uneasy, and some even wrote suicide notes. This atmosphere was related to the sinking of the U.S. nuclear submarine "Thresher" during an extreme deep-dive test due to an accident, in which all 129 people on board died. Seeing this situation, Huang Xuhua decided to personally participate in the deep dive. At the age of 64, he was also the world's first chief designer of a nuclear submarine to take part in a deep-dive test.

There was no precedent in the world for the chief designer of a nuclear submarine to personally participate in a deep dive. After learning of this, the unit's leaders advised Huang Xuhua not to dive in person, but Huang Xuhua insisted on participating. He said: "The deep dive is not an adventure; I have confidence in it. Moreover, if there is any overlooked link, I can be below to promptly assist the captain in judging and handling it."

Huang Xuhua's decision was supported by his wife, Li Shiying. Li Shiying had worked with Huang Xuhua for decades and well understood the importance and risks of the deep dive. She comforted Huang Xuhua, saying, "You are the chief designer, so of course you must go down; otherwise, how will you lead this team in the future? Go down; it will be fine. I will be waiting for you at home!"

As Huang Xuhua's student, Zhang Jinlan, chief technical expert of China Shipbuilding who began work in 1985, was deeply impressed by this deep dive. "The deep-dive test is risky, but risky does not mean reckless; it means having confidence and obtaining data. It is tension, not fear," Zhang Jinlan said. All aspects had made thorough preparations and contingency plans for this deep dive: what to do if there was a leak, what to do if there was a malfunction, what to do if there was deformation. A total of 28 sets of more than 500 emergency response plans were prepared. In the end, submarine "404" reached its underwater limit depth and successfully completed the scheduled deep-dive test.

Facts proved that the design and construction of the first-generation nuclear submarine both met expectations. The first deep-dive record in the history of the Chinese People's Navy submarine force was thus born, and the story of the chief designer of China's nuclear submarine diving together with the first submarine also became a much-told tale.

03 The greatest filial piety to one's parents，is loyalty to the country

Because nuclear submarine development was a top state secret, during more than 30 years of devoting himself to the nuclear submarine cause, Huang Xuhua never revealed to his parents which unit he worked for or what work he did. He once said: "Loyalty to the country is the greatest filial piety to one's parents." When his father passed away, Huang Xuhua was unable to see him one last time. After his mother passed away, Huang Xuhua selected only one scarf from among the elderly woman's belongings. "Whenever winter comes, no matter how good the scarf is, I do not use it; I use only hers. I could not accompany her during her lifetime. After she left, with this scarf,it is as if she is always with me"

04 Passing on knowledge and educating people, serving well as"off-field guidance"

Figures who moved China, national moral models, recipients of the Medal of the Republic... Although he later gained some fame, just like the nuclear submarine cause he deeply loved, Huang Xuhua still upheld a "hidden beneath the water" attitude, remaining unknown and not fond of fame.

China's future nuclear submarine development is striding forward, and the continuous innovation and leapfrog catch-up of nuclear submarine equipment require a large number of outstanding scientific and technological talents.

Does Huang Xuhua have any secret to cultivating scientific research talent? He advocated cultivating people through engineering practice. Over the decades, he led teams in carrying out a series of key model development projects and, in the process, cultivated and trained many scientific and technological talents for the country.

As a new-generation nuclear submarine worker born in the 1970s, Liu Qian, deputy director of the General Research and Design Institute under China Shipbuilding, has long struggled on the front line of nuclear submarine development. He said that his generation does two things: first, they follow Huang Xuhua's example and absorb and assimilate the work systems and methods of that generation; second, they continue the work Huang Xuhua started.

There is no time to delay in building a world science and technology power, and consolidating the talent foundation is key.

Huang Xuhua once said that he positioned himself as a good "cheerleader" for young researchers, backing them up and beating gongs and drums for them. He was more willing to serve as "off-field guidance" rather than as a coach, letting them go ahead and boldly do the work.

Let young people go ahead and do the work! Huang Xuhua was like this when he served as chief designer and institute leader, and he was the same after stepping back from the front line. He once said that young people need support and encouragement.

Society keeps moving forward, and scientific research has no end. Huang Xuhua once sent a message to the younger generation: advanced and sophisticated technologies cannot be bought or begged for; they can only be based on domestic efforts and self-reliance.

Huang Xuhua is the epitome of countless unsung heroes on the national defense science and technology front. Once they "dedicate themselves to the country," they conceal their names and make silent contributions. With their life experiences, Huang Xuhua and the older generation of nuclear submarine workers perfectly interpreted the nuclear submarine spirit of "self-reliance, hard struggle, vigorous coordination, and selfless dedication." This spirit will surely inspire generation after generation of young people to shoulder the heavy responsibilities bestowed by history and devote themselves to the cause of national defense science and technology!