Eighty years ago, on the Longdong Plateau, Chinese petroleum pioneers used abacuses to measure rock pressures and mules to transport wooden drills, successfully drilling China’s first modern oil well.
Eighty years ago, the Chinese farmers worked tirelessly in vast fields with traditional tools and oxen, growing crops that were essential for the nation’s survival.
Eighty years ago, soldiers huddled in dark, damp trenches to tap out Morse code on radios with their frozen fingers. The enemy’s artillery could strike at any moment, yet they risked their lives to transmit vital information to the frontlines.
Eighty years ago, fearless boatmen of the Chuanjiang River courageously embarked on a perilous journey as part of a grand river navigation plan organized by the China Merchants Group (CMG) and other private Chinese businesses. Their mission was to guide six massive river vessels through the treacherous rapids and shoals of the Chuanjiang River, safely transporting military supplies, factory equipment, and people from Yichang to the rear areas of Sichuan.
Eighty years ago, the sound of artillery broke through the darkness of night, as revolutionary pioneers risked their lives to protect power equipment, maintaining industrial operations under the barrage of gunfire.
Eighty years ago, Chinese engineers operated the Jianshe —a trailing suction hopper dredger imported from Germany, on the Huangpu River. When foreign forces tried to seize the vessel, our people defended it with their lives, laying the seeds for self-reliance and national resilience.
Eighty years ago, during a time of national devastation and widespread epidemics, medical professionals confronted extraordinary challenges. Amid scarce resources and the thunder of artillery, they extracted bacterial strains from makeshift cultures and even leather shoes. With their bare hands and unwavering determination, they pioneered China’s biopharmaceutical path.
Eighty years ago, pioneers gripped hammers with cracked hands and peered through magnifying glasses in the flickering glow of kerosene lamps. They tapped grinding wheels to distinguish sound, examined cartridge cases for microscopic marks, and recorded particle uniformity data — safeguarding wartime supplies and igniting the unyielding flame of China’s industrial spirit.
