Yang Gui and the Hongqi Canal

Author: Hao Jiansheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: For a long time, people have formed a stereotype: the Hongqi Canal was born during the "Cultural Revolution," so whenever people mention the Hongqi Canal, they feel it is imbued with a strong political color. But when we wipe away the dust of history with our hearts and conscience, we will discover: this astonishingly magnificent engineering project that has amazed the world is indeed a heroic struggle between the people and nature, born from the fundamental survival needs of Chinese farmers and a true testament to the great power of liberated Chinese farmers. The Hongqi Canal is a life-giving canal that saves people from peril, but it is not just a canal that can irrigate fertile fields. The spiritual brilliance it embodies shines as brightly as the sun and moon. The spirit of the Hongqi Canal was not accidentally born from the construction of the canal; it is the inevitable product of the great practice of the people of Linzhou over thousands of years, struggling against heaven, earth, and harsh natural environments, unyielding, daring and skillful in surmounting all difficulties and obstacles to pursue a better life. The story of the Hongqi Canal remains timeless and unforgettable, not only because of the brilliance and tragedy of its individual existence, but more importantly because it carries a strong symbolic significance. It is a magnificent historical epitome of the Chinese nation's relentless self-improvement. The journey of the Hongqi Canal, from tragedy to glory, has provided endless inspiration and hope for later generations. In the 1970s, Premier Zhou Enlai once proudly told international friends, "New China has two miracles: one is the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, and the other is the Lin County Hongqi Canal." The difference is that the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was built with the strength of the entire nation, while the Hongqi Canal was built solely by Lin County. Perhaps this is what truly makes the Hongqi Canal great. Why was the Hongqi Canal built? How was it constructed? Who led the construction? What is its current state? With these questions in mind, the reporter visited places such as Beijing, Zhengzhou, Anyang, and Linzhou multiple times for on-site investigations and in-depth interviews, striving to objectively show readers the past and present of this Hongqi Canal, and to tell you some little-known true stories of Yang Gui, one of the heroes who contributed to the construction of the canal…