People bid farewell to the 'Father of hybrid rice'

People turned out in the rain in Changsha, in Central China's Hunan province, on Saturday to pay their respects to the esteemed rice scientist Yuan Longping, who was known as the father of hybrid rice.

Yuan, who helped develop hybrid rice strains that saved countless people from hunger, died aged 91 on Saturday, after an illness.

The hearse carrying Yuan's body passed the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, where he worked, and Yuan's residence.