"With the lofty belief that 'science saves the country and industry saves the country', he struggles with sincerity. On this road to the rise of China's heavy chemical industry, he walks in front and fights in the front; he is not limited to the time, not in the trend, he opens up the world of China's heavy chemical industry, and he is the pioneer of China's heavy chemical industry - Hou Debang. ”
The past is a long story
Hou Debang (August 9, 1890 – August 26, 1974), known as Qirong, was born in Minhou, Fujian, a famous scientist, outstanding chemist, founder of Hou's alkali-making method, and pioneer of China's heavy chemical industry. One of the founders of the modern chemical industry is the authority of the world's alkali industry.
Throughout his life, Hou Debang actively disseminated and exchanged science and technology, cultivated many scientific and technological talents, and made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology and the chemical industry. On August 26, 1974, Hou Debang died in Beijing at the age of 84.
Aim to serve the country
Hou Debang was born into a peasant family and grew up in a private school in the countryside. In 1911, he was admitted to the Tsinghua Academy of preparatory schools for studying in the United States. Influenced by the trend of thinking of "saving the country through science," he went to the United States to study. Witnessing the brutal scene of Chinese workers being brutally killed, abused, and discriminated against by international students in the United States, as well as recalling the cruel scene of foreigners holding leather whip pistols and directing Chinese to work as coolies on the way to school when he was young, made him more aware of the heavy national responsibility he shouldered.
Hou Debang, who had already obtained a doctorate in 1912, was invited by Fan Xudong, the founder of Yongli Alkali Company, who gave up his superior life abroad and resolutely returned to China and embarked on the road of entrepreneurship to save the country. However, the domestic situation is very grim, the technology is completely monopolized by foreign countries, and the funds and manpower are seriously insufficient and difficult. But Hou Debang did not give up on this, but invested in this arduous entrepreneurial work with the spirit of hard work. Dressed in overalls and pedaling large rubber shoes, he fought day and night in the workshop. I didn't even have time to eat. Mr. Fan Xudong praised him for "fighting hard, sleeping in the factory, and engaging in death-fighting." After several cold and hot days with technicians and workers, and countless failures, Hou Debang finally produced world-famous brand products in the old China, where industry was backward, and won honor for the motherland.
Just as China's chemical industry was preparing to shine on the world stage, the "July 7 Incident" broke out. Of course, the Japanese will not let go of this rising chemical industry, and they use cooperation as a cover to put forward conditions to Hou Debang. Seeing that half of his life's painstaking efforts were to serve the invaders, Hou Debang swore with grief and indignation: "'It is better to be crushed for jade than for waquan', and would rather hold a memorial service for the factory than to 'cooperate' with the Japanese army." Watching the results of his half-life efforts being bombed by the Japanese three times in a row, Hou Debang was heartbroken, but he did not collapse because of this, but moved the main force to West China, and further actively explored, finally, Hou's alkali method came into being, and he created a miracle here in West China, where it was almost impossible to establish an alkali factory!
It should be known that the emergence of Hou's alkali-making method not only increased the utilization rate of table salt from 70% to 96%, but also made the original useless waste into a usable fertilizer, which perfectly reduced the pollution to the environment, shortened the production process, and greatly reduced the cost of soda ash, breaking the monopoly of alkali-making technology in Western countries at that time, promoting the development of the world's alkali-making technology, and making China occupy a stable place in the world heavy chemical industry!
Commemorating the 47th anniversary of the death of Mr. Hou Debang
Born in a chaotic world, he was not bound to the world; between living alone and rejuvenating the country, he firmly chose the latter. Before his death, he donated all his assets and housing to the Chinese chemical union, and also donated hundreds of books and papers to the state in his collection, truly dedicating everything to the country and the nation. He is not only an academic leader, but also our national hero!
In order to let more people understand, learn and commemorate Mr. Hou Debang, Jing Xian Song has specially developed a new eternal hall function, retaining a large number of biographical materials of celebrities and great people for everyone to learn and remember.
Finally, on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of his death, we once again pay our highest respect to Mr. Hou Debang, a great man in the history of Chinese industry!