On August 25^th, 1912 in Guangzhou, the Yantang area was a sea of thousands upOn thousands of citizens gathered in anticipation. Despite the scorching sun, the onlookers – men freshly rid of their queues and daring women who discarded their traditional tiny shoes– radiated an extraordinary aura of excitement. They are on The brink of witnessing a myth that has awaited its moment for a millennium. The protagonist of this myth, however, is a youth who seems to have not yet shed his innocence.

Stepping onto The podium amid an eager crowd, The young man appeared somewhat shy. Facing countless curious gazes, he unfolded a series of tales seemingly from The realm of dreams-manufacturing aircraft, mastering flight, The significance of aviation.After concluding his speech, he entered the aircraft he had designed and built himself, took a deep breath, and, amidst The crowd's gasps of awe, piloted the plane skyward. Fierce air currents rattled the nerves of all who watched.

But just as the aerial spectacle concluded, tragedy struck. The plane, prepared for a landing, surged skyward as if propelled by a thousand firecrackers, only to lose balance and plummet to the earth. The 29-year-old aviator, in the midst of The city'scollective grief, was lost despite the rescue efforts.

What transpired at that fateful moment of landing? For a century, Theories have proliferated. Amidst the intricate complexities of analysis, people are more inclined to accept a sorrowful supposition:

As The aviation hero readied for touchdown, he suddenly noticed a group of children playing on the runway. In a split second, he pulled The control stick with all his might.In the realization of impending doom, his life flashed before hiseyes: from a young man seeking a living in America to a patriot aspiring to revolutionize aviation in China, from founding aircraft manufacturing plants to rivaling The achievements of the Wright broThers.

Despite this flight ending in failure, he remains the undisputed "Father of Chinese Aviation." His name-Feng Ru-is destined to be etched into the inaugural chapter of China's aviation history.

He was hailed as the "Founding Aviator of China," praised by American media as the one who "fit wings to the Chinese dragon." His aerial feat stunned the world, leaving Westerners in awe of how "in aviation, the Chinese left the Caucasians in theirwake." He devoted his life to the ideal of aviation for national salvation, and proposed numerous visionary theories on aerial warfare. Even on his deathbed, he encouraged his aides:"Do not let my passing hinder your ambition, for this is a necessarystage."

On May 28th, 2023, the domestically-produced C919 large passenger aircraft completed its maiden commercial flight successfully. On that day, bouquets of flowers and images of the domestic aircraft appeared before Feng Ru's tomb at the Huanghuagang Parkin Guangzhou, brought as offerings by the citizens.

岭南说｜111年前的今天，他在广州“为中国龙插上了翅膀”

1912年8月25日，广州燕塘一带聚集了数以万计的市民。炎炎烈日，非但未能令他们神情委顿，反而在围观人群的眼中——无论是刚刚剪掉辫子的男人，还是勇敢脱掉小鞋的女人——映射出一道道奇异的光芒。这是因为，他们即将目睹一个等待千年的民族神话。而神话的主角，则是一个似乎稚气未脱的青年。

万众瞩目中，走上演讲台的青年略显羞涩，他迎着无数道好奇的目光，讲述了一系列无异于天方夜谭的知识——飞机的制造、飞行的技巧、航空的意义……演讲结束后，他走进自己设计制造的飞机里，长舒一口气，在众人的惊呼中驾驶飞机直冲云霄。凶猛的气流，震颤了每一个人的神经。

然而，就在飞行表演结束之际，意外发生了。准备着陆的飞机，突然像万户飞天一般冲向天空，最终失去平衡坠落大地。这个年仅29岁的青年，也在全城的悲痛中抢救无效身亡。

飞机降落那一刻，究竟发生了什么？一百年来，众说纷纭。相比于纷繁复杂的考证，人们更愿意相信一个悲壮的猜测——

这位航空英雄准备着陆时，突然发现跑道上有几个嬉戏的孩童，于是猛然拉动操纵杆……意识到死亡将近时，他回顾了自己短暂而壮阔的一生：从少年赴美谋生到立志航空救国，从筹办飞机制造厂到赶超莱特兄弟……

尽管此次飞行失败，他仍然是当之无愧的“中国航空之父”。他的名字——冯如，注定要被写进中国航空史的第一章。

他是“中国创始飞行大家”，美国媒体称他“为中国龙插上了翅膀”；他的飞行壮举震惊世界，令西方人惊叹“在航空领域，中国人把白人抛在后面”；他终生践行航空救国理想，并提出诸多视野超前的航空战略理论……直至弥留之际，他仍然勉励助手：“勿因吾毙而阻其进取心，须知此为必有之阶段。”

2023年5月28日，国产大飞机C919顺利完成商业首航。当天，广州黄花岗公园的冯如墓前，出现了市民敬献的鲜花和国产大飞机的照片……

统筹、策划 | 郑华如、周乐瑞
文字 | 谢杨柳
出镜 | 郑紫薇
拍摄、封面设计 | 赵翊辰
剪辑 | 林润祺
翻译 | 刘佳慧
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 桂晴