91-Year-Old Alumna Gives 1,440 Grams of Gold to Her Alma Mater

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics has revealed that shortly before its anniversary celebration, the university received an unusual donation: 1,440 grams of gold.

The donor is Gu Xianjue, a 1953-cohort alumna of the instrumentation program who is now 91 years old.

In the autumn of 1953, Gu Xianjue carried an old suitcase from Wuhu, Anhui Province, to Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and walked through the gates of the university.

After graduating, she went to Shenyang Factory 119, an aviation instrument plant.

In the early winter of 1958, as one of 17 elite employees at the factory, she traveled to Beijing to take part in building Asia's largest aviation instrument factory, Factory 232, now known as Beijing Qingyun Aviation Instrument Co., Ltd.

After retiring, Gu Xianjue was rehired by the China Academy of Railway Sciences and Times Company, where she continued standardization work, reviewed technical documents, and trained employees at all levels in standardization knowledge. She only truly retired after training successors for the company.

She compiled and published the Concise Standard Manual for Aviation Instrument Product Design, took part in the formulation and revision of multiple aviation industry standards, and received a fourth-class award for major scientific and technological achievements from the Ministry of Aviation Industry.

On the eve of the university anniversary in 2010, Gu Xianjue, second from left, returned to her alma mater for a visit.

In 2023, Gu Xianjue donated her lifelong collection to the Wuhu Museum free of charge.

In 2026, she donated 1,440 grams of gold to her alma mater.

In her heart, her hometown is the land that raised her, while her alma mater is the starting point of her mission to serve the country through aviation.

Gu Xianjue spent a lifetime accumulating the 1,440 grams of gold. When she was young, she exchanged the money she saved for gold. Over decades, that became this weighty token of affection.

"Keeping these things by my side is not as good as giving them to places that need them more," she said. "I am no longer on the front lines of society, but the university has a bright future, and I believe it will make good use of this fund."

University leaders visited Gu Xianjue at her home to express their care and appreciation.