On this day 41 years ago, on September 7, 1984 (August 12, 1984 in the lunar calendar), China was awarded the UNESCO Literacy Prize for the first time. On September 7, 1984, Bazhong County, Sichuan Province, was awarded the 1984 "Field Literacy Prize" by UNESCO due to its remarkable achievements in literacy. This was the first time that China had been awarded the organization's literacy prize. At a ceremony to celebrate International Literacy Day at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, UNESCO Director-General Mbo awarded the literacy prize to Hong Mingshou, Deputy Governor of Bazhong County and representative of Bazhong County. The "Field Literacy Prize" was created in 1980 by the Japanese publisher, Mr. Masashi Noma. Mr. Masashi Noma passed away on August 10, 1983. Bazhong County is located in the north of Sichuan, with a population of more than one million. In 1949, 90% of the people in Bazhong County were illiterate. After 35 years of hard work, the literacy rate reached more than 90%.