When the sound of oars and sails on the Grand Canal meets the steel and concrete of modern engineering, the torch of science nurtured by the ancient city of Gaoyou, with its thousand-year history, is transformed in the hands of Academician Liu Hanlong into a beacon illuminating geotechnical engineering. From seismic reinforcement of Yangtze River dikes to landslide prevention in mountainous cities, he integratesthe delicate craftsmanship of his cultural hometown into the grand blueprint of major national projects.

In April, Gaoyou is bathed in the misty rain of Jiangnan; weeping willows on both banks of the canal gently brush the water's surface, contrasting delightfully with golden rapeseed flower fields. During the Qingming Festival, Liu Hanlong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, returns to his hometown of Zhoushan along familiar country paths. Facing interviews with local media, he slowly unfolds the scroll of memory.

    In 1976, 12-year-old Liu Hanlong stepped through the gates of Gaoyou Zhoushan Middle School (then called "Zhiguang Middle School"), beginning his path of learning. "The campus environment then was worlds apart from today," Liu recalls. Dilapidated classrooms and crowded communal dormitories did nothing to diminish the students' thirst for knowledge. Marshal Ye Jianying's resounding words—"Science has its perils, but through hard struggle can we prevail"—were like a beacon in the night, illuminating the entire campus and igniting the scientific dreams in the hearts of the young.

    These inspiring words became the spiritual pillar of Liu Hanlong's academic journey. Every day at dawn, he would arrive early at the small river beside the campus, reciting texts to the murmuring of the water; when night fell, he and his classmates would squeeze onto the communal beds, continuing their studies under dim yellow light. At first, as a day student, he commuted between home and school each day; later, after becoming a boarding student, he often carried rice and firewood to the cafeteria to exchange for meals. "Though conditions were tough, everyone harbored dreams and learning enthusiasm ran high," Liu says with emotion. It was those teachers who toiled like gardeners who planted the seeds of science in his heart. The magical scene of his physics teacher assembling a radio from a few diodes remains vividly etched in his memory to this day, igniting his deep interest in physics.

    During middle school, Liu Hanlong displayed extraordinary talent in mathematics and physics. Scenes of him and his classmates passionately discussing geometric proofs,factorization, and other problems remain vivid—sparks of thought constantly flying through exchange and collision. These precious learning experiences not only cultivated his scientific thinking but also laid the foundation for his future professional development.

    When taking the college entrance examination in 1982, Liu Hanlong, who dreamed of computers and radio, was very "single-minded" in filling out his preferences. However, fate played a little joke on him: because he checked the box to accept adjustment, he was unexpectedly admitted to Zhejiang University'sDepartment of Civil Engineering, majoring in Hydraulic Structure Engineering.

    Facing this "beautiful accident," Liu Hanlong quickly adjusted his mindset. He came to deeply understand that every discipline carries unique value and can contribute to national construction. During his days at Zhejiang University, he absorbed knowledge with an insatiable attitude, not only mastering solid professional skills but also cultivating a rigorous academic style and an innovative spirit.

    In his subsequent academic career, Liu Hanlong continuously expanded his research fields: during his master's studies he specialized in engineering geology, during his doctoral studies he turned to geotechnical engineering, and during his postdoctoral studies in Japan he focused on geotechnical earthquake engineering. "From above-ground structures to underground geotechnics, from building engineering to hydraulic engineering, from static analysis to dynamic response, I have covered almost all major directions of civil engineering," Liu candidly admits. Despite his broad research scope, he ultimately chose the most challenging field—geotechnical engineering—as his main focus. This choice stemmed both from his reverence for the difficulty of the discipline and from his sense of mission to solve practical engineering problems.

    Now 61 years old, Liu Hanlong has devoted more than thirty years to geotechnical engineering. This scientist, who calls himself an "underground worker," has written engineering legends with his life's dedication in the underground world that people cannot see. The series of innovative technologies developed by his team are like golden keys, unlocking foundation problems that have plagued the engineering community for years.

    On the path of scientific research, Liu Hanlong has always maintained a keen awareness of problems. Facing the worldwide challenge of soft soil foundations, he led his team to overcome difficulties. In 2005, the construction of the Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou Railway in Zhejiang encountered the dilemma that conventional pile drivers could not be used under high-voltage power lines, and the construction contractor turned to Liu Hanlong.

    Wearing a safety helmet, climbing back and forth on narrow temporary steel ladders, recording on-site stratigraphic conditions, carrying instruments around for testing... Liu Hanlong personally led his team stationed at the construction site, repeatedly surveying and testing amid the dusty construction environment, and ultimately innovatively proposed the groutedstone columnfoundation reinforcement technology. This technology not only solved the urgent problem at the time but was also promoted and applied in major projects such as the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway and the Shanghai-Nanjing Intercity High-Speed Railway, effectively solving foundation reinforcement challenges in complex construction environments such as elevated interchanges and areas adjacent to existing railway lines, and was incorporated into national railway industry standards.

    "The value of scientific research lies in solving practical problems." This is something Liu Hanlong often says. The cast-in-place concrete large-diameter pipe pile technology developed by his team achieved a win-win of resource conservation and engineering efficiency—reducing concrete usage by 30% and construction energy consumption by 50%. From the Yangtze River Delta to Hainan Island, from expressways to intercity railways, these innovative technologies play an important role in major national projects.

    With the implementation of the "dual carbon" strategy, Liu Hanlong has set his sights on the frontier field of microbial geotechnics. He explains that in the construction engineering field, the extensive use of traditional materials such as cement and concrete leads to high carbon emissions, whereas combining microorganisms with geotechnical materials can effectively address carbon emission problems while emphasizing harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. After years of unremitting efforts, they successfully cultivated more than 10 species of mineralizable microorganisms, published China's first academic monograph in the field of microbial geotechnics—*Principles and Applications of Microbial Soil Mechanics*—and founded the world's first professional academic journal in the field of microbial geotechnics, *Biogeotechnics*, focusing on utilizing microbial metabolic activities to promote changes in geotechnical material properties, green ecological reinforcement of geotechnical materials, and low-carbon development, filling a gap in the industry.

    Yet this "underground worker's" vision has never been confined to the ground. In 2019, he served as chief commander of the Chang'e-4 biological science experiment payload project, enabling cotton seeds to bloom with the first touch of green on the lunar surface.

    Today, Liu Hanlong's research achievements are reaching the world through the "Belt and Road" initiative, and the academic team he has cultivated has grown from just a few people initially to nearly 200, becoming a backbone force in the field of geotechnical engineering.

    From solving specific engineering challenges to pioneering disciplinary frontiers, from serving national construction to exploring the mysteries of the universe, Liu Hanlong has demonstrated a scientist's mission and responsibility through thirty years of dedication. As he says: "Scientific research requires both keeping our feet on the ground and looking up at the stars." In this "underground worker," we see the pioneering and innovative spirit of Chinese science and technology workers.

    The years of studying by candlelight built the cornerstone of Liu Hanlong's academic hall; and the bright moon of his hometown has always gently rested on the window lattice of his heart.

    Over the years, no matter how full his schedule, Liu Hanlong always makes time to return home. This year he has already set foot on his native soil twice, and each return leaves him amazed at the magnificent transformation of this land. What moves him most is the light shining in the eyes of the local folks, the passion overflowing from Party committee and government staff, and the vigorous vitality surging through the entire city.

    On this Qingming return home, Liu Hanlong deliberately brought his academic team along, carrying a warm mission: to conduct in-depth research on the actual needs of Gaoyou's urban development and industrial upgrading, and to explore the best points of alignment for university-local cooperation. As a representative of a comprehensive university like Chongqing University, he knows well that the university's breakthrough achievements in multiple disciplines are urgently awaiting transformation into practical momentum for local development. "What we want to build is a two-way bridge," Liu Hanlong says with deep feeling, so that the seeds of academia can take root in the fertile soil of his hometown and bloom into flowers of industry.

    "No matter how far you go, your hometown is always the coordinate deep in your soul." Liu Hanlong's words are full of genuine feeling. He particularly appreciates the strategic vision of the Gaoyou Municipal Party Committee and Government in talent work: both attracting talents from far and wide and enriching the soil for talent development. He enthusiastically extends invitations to hometown Party and government leaders and enterprise representatives, looking forward to their visits to Chongqing University for inspection and exchange, and expresses that he will spare no effort in supporting Gaoyou's talent cultivation plans.

    When speaking of Gaoyou's future development, Liu Hanlong's eyes sparkle with anticipation. He says with delight: "Currently, Gaoyou's industrial invoicing and GDP have both exceeded the 'hundred billion' mark—fruit cultivated by the wisdom and sweat of Gaoyou's people over more than forty years of reform and opening up." In his view, Gaoyou—a National Historical and Cultural City and a National Civilized City—is embracing unprecedented development opportunities.

    "Industrial upgrading requires a 'two-wheel drive' strategy," Liu Hanlong points out in detailed analysis. On one hand, new technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things should be used to give traditional industries intelligent wings, enabling "time-honored brands" to radiate new vitality; on the other hand, it is essential to align with the national "14th Five-Year Plan" and make strategic布局 in emerging industries such as next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, and new energy.

    "What Gaoyou possesses is not only economic strength but also a cultural bloodline stretching back a thousand years—the shimmering waves of the Grand Canal, the lingering charm of the ancient postal road, and the literary heritage passed down from Qin Shaoyou to Wang Zengqi. These are irreplaceable precious resources." Liu Hanlong hopes his hometown will further tap into these cultural resources, carefully plan practical paths for developing the cultural tourism industry, and through cultural-tourism integration, effectively transform cultural advantages into tangible economic advantages.

    Facing the upcoming college entrance examination season, Liu Hanlong specially offers earnest words to hometown students: "Though the road ahead is long, with action you will arrive; with perseverance, the future is promising." This is both the earnest teaching of an academic elder and the most sincere blessing of a wanderer for his hometown.