Jiao Yulu (1922–1964)

August 16, 2023 marks the 101st anniversary of Jiao Yulu's birth. Jiao Yulu (1922–1964), former Party secretary of Lankao County in Kaifeng, central China's Henan Province, began his work in the once-poor county in 1962, where he led the locals to overcome waterlogging, sandstorms and soil degradation that had long plagued Lankao, until he died of liver cancer at the age of 42 in 1964.

President Xi Jinping has always had great respect for Jiao and regarded him as a role model. He visited Lankao in March and May 2014. Addressing local officials, he emphasized the importance of learning from and following Jiao's realm of thoughts of "having all the people in mind except himself," the pragmatic style of "finding out truth behind whatever needs to be dealt with, and daring to pioneer," the revolutionary spirit of "daring to change the world, and daring to defy challenges," and the ethics of hard work, simplicity, integrity, and "never seeking preferential treatment."

As one of the important spirits in the spiritual pedigree of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Jiao's spirit has always remained invaluable in China. It has moved and inspired generations of people to work hard for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization.