Scientists from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan Saturday commemorated the 100th anniversary of the death of Xu Jianyin, China's forerunner in science and engineering.

Xu was born in 1845 and died in an explosion when testing gunpowder in 1901. He was the first person to develop cordite in China.

Xu and his father Xu Shou produced the first steam engine in China as well as the first ship powered by the steam engine and the first domestic-made warship.

The father and son also founded the first school teaching science and engineering in China with a British partner and published China's first science and engineering journal that had introduced a lot of advanced research findings from the West.

The son set up the first ordnance factory completely using Chinese technologies, which is regarded the founder of China's war industry.

(Xinhua 03/31/2001)