A farmer in north China's Shanxi province has recently been granted a state technology invention award in north China's Shanxi Province.

Wang Heng, the first farmer to receive the award, was recognized for inventing waterproof technology and materials to be used in underground engineering projects, which have helped save 1. 1 billion yuan (about US$133.171 million).

Wang, who only received a primary school education, began to work on his invention in the 1980s. He raised money for his work by himself and conducted thousands of tests before developing a waterproof material applicable to various circumstances.

With 23 years of efforts, he created a waterproof cement-like material, which becomes solid in six seconds when mixed with water. This material has been widely used in key construction projects, including a Beijing subway station, Beijing-Kowloon railway and the Three Gorges Dam.

His waterproof technology was also introduced to other countries such as Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea and Morocco.

Wang's invention was recommended to the national science and technology award commission by Hong Boqian, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and other five experts, who acclaimed his invention as "cracking a nut in world underground waterproof projects."

At the national science and technology awarding conference in late March, the Chinese government issued 28 second-grade awards for natural science, two first-grade awards for invention, 26 second-grade awards for innovation, 16 first-grade prizes for progress in science and technology and 228 second-grade prizes for advancement in science and technology.

Five scientists from overseas were granted awards for international cooperation in science and technology.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2005)