Thousands pay last respects to 'father of hybrid rice'

"Neither my wife nor I have ever seen Mr Yuan in the flesh, but we want to say thanks to him for his contributions and help to the world, the country, as well as our family. To thank him to let us have enough food and a good life," the 35-year-old said.

"We also brought our son along because we want him to see all these, and to become a person who can make some contributions to the society after he grows up," he added.

In an open letter to the public, Yuan's family members expressed gratitude to people who had visited the scientist when he was in hospital, medical workers who had taken good care of Yuan and those who came to attend the memorial service on Monday.

"After our father's death, all walks of life spontaneously organized memorial activities, and as his family members, we truly felt the respect and love of everyone for him," they wrote.

"When our father was alive, he cared for us children and grandchildren so much. He was a down-to-earth person who worked diligently and his virtues deeply impressed us and we will benefit from them for our whole life... Dear father, don't worry about us. We'll take good care of our mother, educate the younger generations and take action to repay society," the family wrote in the letter.

Zhu Youfang in Changsha and Xinhua contributed to this story.