The Unique Temperament of "Hainiu" - It's Hard to See the Rainbow Without Experiencing Wind and Rain, and Difficulties Need to Be Solved Step by Step
By Pingtinghe
Zhang Xueyun, a young writer who emerged from the education department, is like a rhododendron blooming on the land of western Hunan. With her unique temperament and pure heart, she shows us the beauty of all things in the world. She brings the simplicity and kindness of women from western Hunan, and with a sincere heart, she integrates her insights into the world into her works without reservation. Just as she vividly depicts the scientific research journey of Professor Wan Buyan's team in her works, all the difficulties and obstacles are presented without any whitewashing. She has the courage to face a series of thorny issues in reality, such as the dependence on imported scientific research equipment, the cumbersome process of obtaining sea - going permits, the lack of meteorological support, and the scarcity of coastal experimental bases, without any evasion or concealment.
In the face of these challenges, the spirit of perseverance and problem - solving shown by Professor Wan Buyan's team is just like the pure power revealed in Zhang Xueyun's works. They did not give up because of the equipment's reliance on foreign countries, were not defeated by the numerous obstacles to going to sea, did not back down in the face of harsh weather conditions, and did not stop moving forward due to the lack of a base. This spirit echoes Zhang Xueyun's sincere attitude towards the world, inspiring us that only by daring to face real - world problems like Zhang Xueyun, and analyzing and presenting them with a pure heart, can we truly tap into the powerful spiritual strength of overcoming difficulties, such as that of Professor Wan Buyan's team. With this strength, we can forge ahead in the face of difficulties, blaze a trail through the thorns towards success, and make our scientific research undertakings and even all kinds of undertakings bloom gorgeously and thrive like the rhododendrons all over the mountains.
When reading the reportage about Professor Wan Buyan's team's research and development of the "Hainiu" (Sea Cow) deep - sea drilling rig, many thought - provoking "difficulties" come one after another, stinging our hearts full of expectations for scientific research development like thorns.
The "difficulty" of scientific research equipment is like a huge boulder lying in the way. In 1998, when Professor Wan Buyan first boarded an ocean - going research vessel, he was shocked to find that all the products on the ship were from foreign countries, and even the plastic sampling tubes were no exception. When facing difficult research topics, his high - spirits were immediately dampened by reality. The lack of domestic equipment in many fields has made scientific research work fall into the quagmire of relying on imports from the very beginning. In 2001, when the team developed a 4.5 - ton electric drilling rig and was full of joy, ready to conduct sea trials, they discovered that the loading capacity of the lifting frame of the "Dayang Yihao" research vessel purchased from Russia was far less than that stated in the manual. The research vessel, which cost a huge amount of money, had its quality greatly reduced, hindering the progress of scientific research. In 2015, during the deep - sea drilling of "Hainiu No.1", the supporting winch system was from Denmark. In 2021, "Hainiu No.2" almost sank to the bottom of the sea due to a failure of the winch system produced by Denmark. Relying on imported key equipment like this, once a problem occurs, not only is there no way to repair it, but it may also lead to the destruction of scientific research achievements and heavy losses to the country. We can't help but ask, after decades of reform and opening - up, why is it still so difficult for us to produce a winch system with relatively low technical content? Behind this, is it a lack of investment in scientific research or flaws in the technology research and development system?
The "difficulty" of going to sea for scientific research is like layers of shackles. Before the "Hainiu No.1" was set to go to sea in 2015, the equipment was transported to the seaside dock after days and nights of travel. Everyone was looking forward to starting the scientific research journey, but the captain informed them that they couldn't go to sea because they couldn't obtain the sea - going permit. It was only after arduous communication and unremitting efforts by Professor Wan and the university that they finally obtained the permit. Scientists are enthusiastic about scientific research, but they are blocked by a small sea - going permit. What this reflects is the cumbersome administrative process and ineffective coordination mechanism. We can't help but wonder why we can't open up a smooth passage for scientific research to go to sea, so that scientists don't have to waste their energy on these unnecessary obstacles during the golden period of scientific research.
The "difficulty" of meteorological support is like a dark cloud covering the scientific research voyage. At 20:00 on May 20, 2015, strong winds above level seven and huge waves hit the research vessel in the Taiwan Strait. Professor Wan's team was conducting sea exploration tests in harsh weather conditions. Due to the failure of the meteorological forecasting department to provide safe and reliable time - period information, the scientific research work had to be carried out in danger. In 2021, "Hainiu No.2" was threatened by a strong typhoon. Again, due to the lack of meteorological prediction support, it almost caused huge losses. For such major national - level scientific research projects, every time they go to sea, they can't get foolproof meteorological prediction support. This reflects the lack of effective cooperation and rational integration of resources between scientific research and meteorological and other related departments. As a result, scientific research work is left helpless in the face of the unpredictability of nature.
The "difficulty" of scientific research bases is like a predicament with an unstable foundation. Every time Professor Wan Buyan's team goes to sea, the equipment needs to be transported from inland schools in Hunan to coastal ports over a long distance, which is time - consuming and labor - intensive. For such a major national - level scientific research project, the lack of coastal experimental bases or experimental equipment production bases makes it extremely inconvenient to carry out scientific research work. We claim to be a vast and resource - rich country. Why can't we provide a solid scientific research foundation for these selfless scientists, so that they can focus more on scientific innovation and research and development instead of wasting a lot of energy on equipment transportation and other trivial matters?
These "difficulties" are by no means isolated but are intertwined, jointly restricting the development of our country's scientific research undertakings. The institutional and mechanism issues, departmental coordination problems, and issues of scientific research investment and layout behind them urgently need our in - depth reflection and solution. If these "difficulties" are allowed to persist, how can our scientific research undertakings break through the shackles and shine on the international stage? Only by facing these problems directly and carrying out bold reform and innovation can we open up a bright road for the vigorous development of our country's scientific research undertakings.
On the long journey of scientific research, these continuous obstacles are like difficult gorges that are hard to cross, seriously slowing down our progress. Every dilemma caused by equipment problems, sea - going permit issues, lack of meteorological support, and absence of bases is not only a great waste of scientific research resources but also a merciless erosion of the enthusiasm and hard - work of scientific researchers.
Taking the dependence on foreign equipment as an example, long - term reliance on imports not only makes us subject to others in key technologies but also greatly increases the cost of scientific research. When the winch system of "Hainiu No.2" produced by Denmark malfunctioned and the manufacturer couldn't provide a repair solution, we were faced with a difficult choice: either abandon the scientific research achievements worth tens of millions or spend huge amounts of manpower and material resources on self - repair. This situation makes us question what are the deficiencies in our country's technological accumulation and industrial development in related fields over the years? Is it that basic research is not in - depth enough to support the independent breakthrough of core technologies? Or is it that in industrial policy guidance, insufficient attention is paid to such seemingly "small but sophisticated" and crucial equipment manufacturing fields?
The cumbersome process of obtaining sea - going permits exposes the lack of an efficient coordination mechanism among administrative departments. Scientific research work has strict time windows and plans. The delay of a sea - going permit may bring months or even years of preparation work to a standstill. This reflects that government departments have not yet established a rapid - response system oriented towards scientific research needs in serving scientific research innovation. The information flow among various departments is blocked, and the approval process lacks streamlining and optimization, making scientists exhausted in dealing with cumbersome administrative affairs and precious scientific research time passing by quietly.
The lack of meteorological support is essentially a systematic problem of cross - departmental cooperation. There is no full sharing of data and in - depth cooperation between meteorological departments and scientific research institutions. For scientific research projects going to sea for tests, accurate meteorological forecasts for specific sea areas and time periods are needed to reasonably arrange scientific research tasks and avoid risks. However, in reality, meteorological forecasts fail to meet this refined requirement, highlighting that different departments are working independently in the scientific research support chain, lacking unified planning and the ability to work together.
The scarcity of coastal experimental bases is undoubtedly a profound warning of the irrational allocation of scientific research resources. Our country has a long coastline, but we have not made full use of this geographical advantage to provide convenient infrastructure for marine scientific research. Without coastal experimental bases, the transportation cost of scientific research equipment is high, the risk is great, and it is easily affected by various uncertain factors during the transportation process. This reflects that in the national - level scientific research layout, there is a lack of forward - looking and strategic considerations for the construction of the scientific research support system, and the crucial role of complete infrastructure in promoting scientific research innovation has not been fully recognized.
If these problems are not effectively solved, in the long run, we will not only find it difficult to achieve breakthrough results in cutting - edge scientific research fields but may also gradually fall behind in the global science and technology competition. We must start from top - level design, optimize the structure of scientific research investment, strengthen basic research and the research and development of key technologies, and cultivate an independent and controllable scientific research equipment industry system; establish a cross - departmental scientific research coordination and linkage mechanism, simplify administrative processes, and improve the efficiency and quality of serving scientific research; strengthen the in - depth cooperation between meteorological and other related departments and scientific research institutions to create an accurate and efficient scientific research support system; and rationally plan the layout of scientific research infrastructure, building a number of fully - equipped experimental bases in coastal areas. Only by comprehensively and systematically overcoming these "difficulties" can we provide solid wings for the take - off of our country's scientific research undertakings, allowing scientists to soar freely in the vast field of scientific research and injecting a continuous stream of impetus into the country's scientific and technological progress and innovation - driven development.
(Note: Zhang Xueyun, of Miao ethnic group, is from Yuanling, Hunan Province, and a member of the Communist Party of China. She is the vice - president of the Hunan Reportage Society and works at Mao Zedong Literature Institute of Hunan Writers Association. In 2024, she won the Reportage Award of the 13th National Minority Literature Creation Horse - like Steed Award for her work "The 'Hainiu' Deep - sea Drilling Rig".)
Original Reading Notes
"The 'Hainiu' Deep - sea Drilling Rig" is a prize - winning reportage work by Zhang Xueyun, a member of the Chinese Writers Association. It provides a detailed account of the experience of Professor Wan Buyan's team in developing the "Hainiu" deep - sea drilling rig. The first half of the work elaborates on the arduous process of Professor Wan Buyan's research and development of the "Hainiu". In 1998, Professor Wan Buyan boarded an ocean - going research vessel for the first time. Due to his inadaptability to offshore operations, he suffered from seasickness for a whole week before getting used to life at sea. When facing difficult research topics, he found that all the products on the ship were from foreign countries, and even the plastic sampling tubes on the ship were imported.
Why, during the process of reform and opening - up and development, does our country need to purchase so many things from foreign countries, even ordinary daily necessities? The article describes that when our country uses self - made seabed trawls to collect seabed surface samples, we have to use machines rented from foreign countries to operate, and the rented seabed drilling rigs are not easy to use during the operation.
Professor Wan Buyan led his team to develop the first seabed drilling rig in 2001. They developed a 4.5 - ton electric drilling rig, which took several days and nights to transport to the seaside. However, when they were about to conduct a sea trial, they found that the loading capacity of the lifting frame of the "Dayang Yihao" research vessel purchased from Russia was only 2.5 tons, while the loading capacity of the lifting frame stated in the manual of the "Dayang Yihao" research vessel of Russia was 5 tons. It is not difficult to imagine that as a giant product like a research vessel, its purchase cost is not a small amount, but the product quality has been halved. What is the real reason behind this? Is it just that the Russian products did not meet the agreed standards? There may be many reasons behind it. Moreover, as a scientist, Professor Wan Buyan leads his team to carry out research and development work to fill the national gap. Why can't there be a base for experimental research and development by the sea? Our country has always been known for its vast territory and rich resources. Can't we accommodate our own scientists to have a test base for developing scientific products?
In 2015, the deep - sea drilling of "Hainiu No.1" almost failed to go to sea. The author detailed the reasons. Before going to sea, Professor Wan didn't know that there would be changes. The maritime equipment and several containers were transported to the seaside dock by truck after several days and nights of travel, ready for work. However, something puzzling happened. The captain of the "Haidahao" research vessel suddenly informed them that they couldn't go to sea because they couldn't obtain the sea - going permit. After arduous communication and active efforts by Professor Wan and Hunan University of Science and Technology, they finally obtained the sea - going permit after many twists and turns. Why are our own scientists blocked by a small sea - going permit when conducting scientific experiments and research and development? Are these problems just a simple matter of a permit? Why do Chinese scientists encounter such absurd obstacles in the process of innovation and research and development?
At 20:00 on May 20, 2015, strong winds above level seven and huge waves continuously hit the research vessel in the Taiwan Strait. Professor Wan and others were conducting sea exploration tests at sea. Due to the weather, they had to end this arduous scientific research in a tense state. Why can't the meteorological forecasting department provide safe and reliable time - period information for our scientists when they go to sea for scientific research tests? The article repeatedly mentions that the supporting winch system of the "Hainiu" is imported from Denmark. Then, after so many years of development in our country, why can't we produce a winch system with relatively low technical content? How could such a situation occur during the reform and opening - up? Can't our large - scale country produce a winch system with low technical content?
On March 17, 2021, the highly anticipated "Hainiu No.2" almost sank to the bottom of the sea, and the expensive scientific research achievements worth tens of millions or more were almost destroyed. The author vividly and in detail reported the specific situation at that time. "Hainiu No.2" together with the 1000 - meter cable released weighed about 15 tons. When it was lowered into the water, the winch system suffered a catastrophic failure. The lead screw and transmission mechanism responsible for cable arrangement in the winch system were severely damaged. The lead screw fell off from the bearing block, the gearbox housing cracked, and the end cover broke into several pieces, and the gearbox was damaged. For such a failure, the Danish manufacturer's supplier could not provide a repair method. What's more serious is that a strong typhoon would pass through this sea area in 48 hours. To ensure the safety of all team members, the only option was to abandon the "Hainiu No.2" worth tens of millions at the bottom of the sea and cut off the drilling rig's base cable to ensure the safety of the personnel. In this way, the experiment could not be carried out, and the country would suffer huge losses. Fortunately, through the arduous repair and wonderful solutions of Professor Wan Buyan, the precious new product "Hainiu No.2" was saved. It's incredible that for such a major scientific research project, why can't we get foolproof meteorological prediction support from the meteorological department every time we go to sea? Why can't the supporting facilities for such a major national - level scientific research experiment be effectively guaranteed? The questions behind this are thought - provoking.
Professor Wan Buyan leads his team. Every time they go to sea, the equipment has to be transported from inland schools in Hunan to coastal ports. The process of loading, transporting, unloading, and loading onto the ship is a long and tiring journey, which takes several days. Starting from Xiangtan in Hunan, passing through Zhanjiang, Qingdao, Guangzhou, and even Hainan and Fujian, they have to cross countless mountains, rivers, mountains, plains, villages, and cities, traveling hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Several large trucks have a hard journey. It is extremely inconvenient to conduct scientific research tests at sea. For such a major national - level scientific research project, why can't our large - scale country provide an experimental base or an experimental equipment production base by the sea to strongly support these selfless scientists to carry out scientific innovation and research and development more smoothly? After decades of reform and opening - up in our country, can't we provide perfect support services in this regard? Why can't our country coordinate the efforts of various provinces to ensure that national - level scientific research projects receive the best support?
Zhang Xueyun is a young writer who came out of the education department. She has the unique temperament of women from western Hunan and the special qualities cultivated during her work in the grassroots education department. Such a temperament is rarely seen in ordinary people. She has the unique simplicity and kindness of people from western Hunan. When facing all things in the world, she always looks at everything in the world with a sincere heart Zhang Xueyun is a young writer who came out of the education department. She has the unique temperament of women from western Hunan and the special qualities cultivated during her work in the grassroots education department. Such a temperament is rarely seen in ordinary people. She has the unique simplicity and kindness of people from western Hunan. When facing all things in the world, she always looks at everything in the world with a sincere heart, simply and kindly. Just like the rhododendrons in western Hunan, which are so purely red, so simple, and without any guile. Their beauty is fully displayed to people, allowing people to appreciate, admire, and even possess it. The beauty of her works is also the beauty of her unique temperament.
