On October 15, 2018, the National Report on the Publicity and Education of Scientific Ethics and Study Style Construction was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Academician Huang Xuhua combined himself to introduce the scientific research experience and mental journey of carrying out the development of nuclear submarines. (Visual China/Photo)
At 20:30 on February 6, 2025, Huang Xuhua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and winner of the "Medal of the Republic", died in Wuhan, Hubei Province at the age of 99 due to ineffective medical treatment.
Huang Xuhua, who always calls himself "Hakka, ancestral home in Jieyang, born in Shanwei", was once far away from his hometown. He was engaged in nuclear submarine research and needed to remain incognito, and he did not return to his hometown for 30 years, and he did not even see his father for the last time.
Huang Xuhua has been indifferent to fame and fortune all his life, and has always believed that he is one of the vast number of nuclear submarine scientific research workers. He often uses "three mirrors" to encourage young people: a magnifying glass, a microscope, and a demon mirror, which represent following clues, seeing the substance, and removing the false and retaining the truth.
After becoming famous, this "deep diver" still maintains the purity of a scientific research worker. When receiving the Order of the Republic in 2019, he repeatedly emphasized: "The honor does not belong to me personally, the nuclear submarine is the crystallization of collective wisdom." ”
In the face of the sudden surge of flowers and applause, Huang Xuhua vividly compared himself to floating from the bottom of the water to the water, "I am not used to it, I prefer to be incognito and be an unsung hero." ”
Now, Huang Xuhua is really gone, with his lifelong hometown accent, with the regret of "loyalty and filial piety" to his parents, and with the promise of "no regrets in this life", which will always be deep in people's memory.
The final "deep dive"
When he was awarded the "Order of the Republic" in 2019, Huang Xuhua was 93 years old.
"I'm just receiving this honor as a representative." He believes that the nuclear submarine is an organic combination of the trinity of nuclear reactors, missiles, and submarines, and that the technology is very complex, and that it is the product of a nationwide effort and coordination, and that it is the crystallization of collective wisdom.
In the spotlight, he openly admitted that "floating from the bottom to the surface of the water, a little uncomfortable", and prefers to be an unsung hero.
The 719th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, is the only overall design and research institute of nuclear-powered ships in China. As its honorary director, Huang Xuhua, who is in his 90s, still insists on working in the office every day.
He said that he clearly felt that he was running out of time and that there was still a lot of work to be done.
Although Huang Xuhua has withdrawn from the front line, he believes that the world's technological competition is very fierce, and the most severe competition is manifested in the field of national defense science and technology, and he has a long way to go.
"I'm getting older, and people tell me not to go to work." In an interview with the media, Huang Xuhua said with a smile, "But I still have to be a cheerleader for the younger generation to cheer them up." At that time, Huang Xuhua was sorting out decades of information, but it was not easy to read many words.
He had no intention of giving up. "In the future, everyone will use it if it is useful, after all, it is decades of hard work."
Huang Xuhua's schedule in his later years was very regular. He does tai chi every day. Not only do I get up in the morning, but I also take a nap at 4 p.m. every day for 30 to 45 minutes, and go to bed on time at 10:30 p.m. He said that we should never be satisfied with technology at work, but we should be content and happy in life.
Huang Xuhua once said that he wanted to be an "old-fashioned" person. But he is still always concerned about the healthy growth of the next generation. He has donated more than 20 million yuan to scientific research, popular science and educational institutions. Among them, he donated 11 million yuan to set up the "Huang Xuhua Science and Technology Innovation Award Fund", which inspired a large number of scientific research workers to inherit and carry forward the spirit of scientists.
Huang Xuhua also went to primary and secondary schools many times to give reports, popularize science, and disseminate knowledge about nuclear submarines.
He wanted to give the "three mirrors" he carried with him to the young nuclear submarine researchers: a magnifying glass, which represents expanding the field of vision and looking for clues; Microscope, which represents magnifying information and seeing the substance; Looking at the demon mirror, it represents distinguishing the true from the false and absorbing the essence.
From 1958 until his death, Huang Xuhua never left the development of nuclear submarines, and seemed to be never tireless.
"Nuclear submarines have been integrated into my life." Huang Xuhua once revealed that four digits in his mobile phone number are 5209, which he chose by himself. It stands for "I love '09".
It turned out that 09 was the code name for the nuclear submarine. Huang Xuhua said that this life is combined with "09".
On the afternoon of September 29, 2019, the Chinese Academy of Engineering held a symposium on learning the scientific spirit of academicians Yuan Longping and Huang Xuhua in Beijing. Academician Huang Xuhua shared his scientific research experience at the symposium. (Visual China/Photo)
The dream of a nuclear submarine for the "idiot".
In 1958, Huang Xuhua received the task and went to Beijing to participate in the development of nuclear submarines.
Before leaving, he did not tell his parents the specific content of his work, but only said that he was going on a business trip. He is well aware that the development of nuclear submarines is a top-secret project, and once he participates, it means that he has to remain incognito and cut off contact with his family.
That year, in order to break the monopoly of nuclear submarine technology by the United States and the Soviet Union, Nie Rongzhen, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, who is in charge of science and technology work, suggested to the central authorities that the development of missile nuclear submarines be initiated. With the approval of the Central Committee, a 29-person Shipbuilding Technology Research Office (later renamed the 09 Research Institute) was formed. Huang Xuhua became a technician in the laboratory.
Huang Xuhua clearly remembers that the average age of the 29 people is less than 30 years old, except for him and two or three other people who have been married, "everyone else is single".
In China at the end of the 50s of the last century, no one really understood nuclear submarines, and there were no references.
"From material to knowledge, it is not an exaggeration to describe it as poor and white." Huang Xuhua publicly recalled that looking back, at that time, they may not even have the basic development conditions, so everyone started to do it.
Under such difficult conditions, Huang Xuhua and his colleagues searched for a needle in a haystack, collecting a few words about the nuclear submarine from foreign news reports, and using an abacus and slide rule to calculate a large amount of data on the nuclear submarine.
Once, Huang Xuhua saw two model toys of the USS Washington nuclear submarine. It was brought back by someone else. As if he had found a treasure, he dismantled and disassembled the toy. I was excited to find that the dense equipment inside was basically the same as the design drawings that they deduced half from scattered data and half from imagination.
"I thought, nuclear submarines aren't a big deal! There is no need to myth cutting-edge technology, no matter how cutting-edge things are, they are all comprehensively innovated on the basis of conventional technology, and there is no mystery. Since then, Huang Xuhua has strengthened his confidence.
In 1965, the development of nuclear submarines was fully launched, and the overall research and design institute of nuclear submarines was established in Huludao, Liaoning, and Huang Xuhua began a life of "desert island exploration".
The climate in Huludao is very unbearable. There are about two seven-level winds a year, and one blow for half a year, and the winter wind is biting, which is very painful. In such an environment, Huang Xuhua and his colleagues worked day and night to overcome the core technical problems of nuclear submarines, such as power, linear type, structure, underwater acoustics, armament, communications, and life support.
They have solved many cutting-edge technological problems with local methods, and have broken through the seven most critical and important technologies in nuclear submarines: nuclear power plant, drop-line hull, hull structure, artificial atmospheric environment, underwater communications, inertial navigation system, and launch device, that is, the "seven golden flowers."
On December 26, 1970, China's first nuclear submarine was launched. When this behemoth floated from the water, Huang Xuhua was so excited that he burst into tears. On August 1, 1974, the nuclear submarine was named "Long March 1" and officially included in the naval combat sequence.
So far, China is the fifth country in the world to possess nuclear submarines after the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France, and has the capability of a second nuclear counterattack.
"From 1965, when the '09' program was officially established, it took less than ten years for us to build our own nuclear submarine." In interviews with many media, Huang Xuhua always said that he was very proud.
In 1979, Huang Xuhua served as the deputy chief designer of the "09 Project", and in 1982, he became the chief designer.
Whether the nuclear submarine is combat-effective, the ultimate deep diving test is the key. However, no chief designer in the world has done extreme deep diving tests with nuclear submarines. In April 1988, when a new Chinese nuclear submarine conducted its first deep-diving test, 64-year-old Huang Xuhua decided to give it a try.
Although he reassured his colleagues that "it's okay, it's safe" at that time, in fact, his heart was tighter than anyone else.
With such a choice of life and death, he didn't expect his wife Li Shiying to become his supporter. Huang Xuhua understands that his wife is more nervous than him, and her calm is just to not shake his determination.
"In the unlikely event that something goes wrong during a deep dive, I can help take measures in time." Huang Xuhua said that he is not a hero and wants to sacrifice with everyone, but is responsible for the safety of everyone's lives and ensures the safety of people and boats.
On the day of the deep diving test, the waves in the South China Sea were more than 1 meter high. The boat dives slowly, first at 10 meters, then at 5 meters, and at 1 meter when it is close to the limit depth. The steel plate is subjected to a huge water pressure and makes a "click" and "click" sound.
In one hour, two hours, three hours, and four hours, Huang Xuhua went down to the extreme underwater depth, completed a four-hour deep diving test, and got a lot of first-hand data.
When the pointer of the depth gauge pointed to the extreme depth, Huang Xuhua heard the captain order: "Each post carefully checks the surrounding situation, and after confirming that it is correct, it will start to float." "When they had reached a safe depth of 100 metres, there was a sudden boil on the boat.
"The whole boat was in a commotion, jumping, shaking hands, hugging, some comrades were crying, everyone was very excited." Huang Xuhua recalled that the express newspaper on the boat asked him to mention a few words, and such an atmosphere made him so excited that he was inspired, and he took a pen and wrote: "Sixtieth Idiot, Ambition to Explore Dragon Palace." Stormy seas, happy in it".
"Idiot" refers to my obsession with the nuclear submarine cause and I have no regrets; Happiness means that I enjoy it. Just 16 words are a true portrayal of Huang Xuhua's nuclear submarine career.
"I'm like a nuclear submarine, under the water"
However, for the sake of work secrecy, Huang Xuhua did not return home for 30 years.
When he left home to develop a nuclear submarine, he was in his early thirties. When he saw his relatives again, he was already a white-haired old man in his sixties. During these 30 years, he has downplayed the connection with family and friends. His parents wrote to him many times, asking him which unit he worked in and what kind of work he did, but he avoided answering.
During this period, when his father was seriously ill, he could not go home to take care of him; His father died of illness, and he was not able to mourn. The father did not know what unit his third son was in, let alone what work he was doing.
"There are many complaints from relatives." Huang Xuhua recalled that the younger brothers and sisters all thought that after the third brother graduated from college, he forgot his home and the parents who raised him. Although the mother repeatedly explained, "Your third brother is not such a person. But for 30 years, my mother inevitably didn't understand.
At the end of 1986, after the nuclear submarine project was declassified, Huang Xuhua took the opportunity of a business trip to the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen, and he finally returned to his hometown in Shanwei, full of expectations, but his mother was not at home.
Huang Xuhua asked and found out that after the death of the second brother, the family took his mother to his younger brother's house. So Huang Xuhua hurriedly rushed to Zhaoqing and saw his 93-year-old mother.
Time passed quietly, and Huang Xuhua, who was over the age of six, had frost on his temples like his mother.
In an interview with Nanfang+, Huang Xuhua recalled that his mother and he visited Seven Star Rock at that time. "They didn't ask me what I had been doing for decades, they just held my hand and talked about the past when I was a child."
It wasn't until 1987 that Wenhui Monthly published a reportage entitled "The Mighty and Unknown Life". It does not have Huang Xuhua's name on it, but it has the name of his wife Li Shiying. When he sent the magazine home, his family learned about Huang Xuhua's real job.
The mother hurriedly gathered the family and told them solemnly: "Everyone must understand and understand the matter of the third brother!" This sentence reached Huang Xuhua's ears, and he cried.
In 1926, Huang Xuhua was born in a small fishing village in Shanwei City, Guangdong Province. His ancestral home is Jieyang City, Guangdong Province.
He spent his childhood by the sea, growing up listening to the sound of the waves. His father was a well-known local doctor, and his mother was also from a medical family.
But in that turbulent era, Huang Xuhua's childhood was not peaceful.
When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, the iron hooves of the Japanese invaders trampled all over the land of China. Huang Xuhua's hometown was not spared, with the sound of planes often piercing the quiet sky, destroying homes and displacing villagers.
Huang Xuhua once witnessed Japanese planes circling overhead, bombs raining down, and houses in ruins.
originally wanted to inherit the mantle of his parents and become a doctor, but the war made Huang Xuhua change his mind. He decided to abandon medicine and work, and was determined to study aviation and shipbuilding to defend the motherland's maritime frontiers.
In 1958, China launched a nuclear submarine development project. At that time, it had been four years since the birth of nuclear submarines in the United States, and the first nuclear submarine in the USSR had been launched for a year. China, on the other hand, got off to a difficult start in a blank slate.
With his solid professional knowledge and rich practical experience, Huang Xuhua was selected to join the nuclear submarine development team.
Many years later, Huang Xuhua recalled the "evaporation of the world" for 30 years several times, and said several times that he had no regrets. He always said, "The country needs me, and I am like a nuclear submarine, potentially underwater." ”
On June 2, 2022, in Hohhot, the audience watched the exhibits of the comprehensive exhibition "Ode to China - The Appearance of Our Hearts" at the Inner Mongolia Exhibition Hall. (Visual China/Photo)
Southern Weekly reporter Wang Jialin
Editor-in-charge: Yao Yijiang