According to a message posted on the official WeChat account of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics on October 24, just before the university's anniversary celebration, the school received a very special donation: 1,440 grams of gold.
The donor is Gu Xianjue, a 1953 graduate of the instrument major, who is now 91 years old.
The gold donated by Gu Xianjue. Image source: The university's official WeChat account.
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 NUAA.
After graduating, she went to Shenyang Factory 119 (an aviation instrument factory). In the early winter of 1958, as one of 17 elite employees at the factory, she traveled to Beijing to participate in building Asia's largest aviation instrument factory — Factory 232 (Beijing Qingyun Aviation Instrument Co., Ltd.).
Gu Xianjue in her youth. Image source: The university's official WeChat account.
After retiring, Gu Xianjue was rehired by the China Academy of Railway Sciences and Times Company, where she continued to work on standardization, reviewing technical documents, and training 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, participated in the formulation and revision of multiple aviation industry standards, and was awarded the fourth prize for major scientific and technological achievements by the Ministry of Aviation Industry.
On the eve of the 2010 anniversary celebration, Gu Xianjue (second from left) visited her alma mater. Image source: The university's official WeChat account.
In 2023, Gu Xianjue donated her lifetime collection of treasures to the Wuhu City Museum free of charge. In 2026, she donated another 1,440 grams of gold to her alma mater. In her heart, her hometown is the land that raised her, and her alma mater is where she embarked on her career of aviation service to the nation.
This 1,440 grams of gold was saved by Gu Xianjue over a lifetime. When she was young, she converted the money she saved into gold. Over decades, she accumulated 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 NUAA has a bright future, and I believe the school will make good use of this fund."
University leaders visited Gu Xianjue at her home to express their care and appreciation. Image source: The university's official WeChat account.
Public information shows that Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and is located in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The university was founded in October 1952 and is one of the first batch of aviation higher education institutions established by New China.
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