On December 8, 1944, the 30th anniversary of Xiangya School of Medicine, the institution was forced to relocate from Guiyang to Chongqing. On July 24, Li Zhihong, Vice President of Central South University, along with the leadership team from Xiangya School of Medicine and the Hospital Management Office, and over 30 staff members, embarked on a “Retracing the Xiangya Westward Journey” activity to visit the former school sites in Chongqing.

The group visited significant historical sites at Huangjiaoya, Lianglukou, and Yangongqiao. A Western-style house near the road ten kilometers from Huangjiaoya in Nan’an District once housed Xiangya’s first- and second-year students. Lianglukou, now recognized as a historic city name in Chongqing, was a key activity site for Xiangya’s faculty and students. Yangongqiao served as the primary location for Xiangya School of Medicine in Chongqing, specifically at the Weapons Exhibition Hall of the Ordnance Department, with three large warehouses. During the visit, Xiangya historical expert Huang Shanqi, former associate researcher at the Central South University Archives and deputy director of the Archives Technical Research Institute, provided in-depth explanations.

Red Crag Soul Square in Shapingba District, located at the foot of the majestic Gele Mountain, was near the Weapons Exhibition Hall of the former Yangongqiao Ordnance Department, where Xiangya School of Medicine operated. This place is not only a sacred site for commemorating revolutionary martyrs but also an important location for inheriting the red gene and promoting patriotic sentiment. The leaders and staff of Xiangya School of Medicine and the Hospital Management Office revisited their party oaths at Red Crag Soul Square and paid tribute to the many heroes resting there who sacrificed their lives for national independence and the liberation of the nation.

“Senior students were dispersed to the Army Hospital and the Central Hospital of Gaotanyan. Although only first- and second-year students stayed at Yangongqiao, the cramped quarters barely had enough space for all the beds, let alone desks and chairs. It was stifling in summer and freezing in winter. The dining hall was a temporary bamboo shed, and during rain, a few drops would inevitably land in our food. Initially, there were no electric lights, and the water supply was challenging. In summer, without mosquito nets, several students often contracted malaria”, recalled Mr. Kong Huayu, who studied at Xiangya School of Medicine from 1944 to 1950, in his memoir.

Despite the harsh conditions during the relocation to Chongqing, Mr. Kong Huayu wrote, “Our spirits were forged through the trials of physical and mental hardship, molded on the anvil of poverty and sickness, making us stronger and more resilient!” This encapsulates the spirit of Xiangya Westward Journey.

(First Review: Li Ruijun; Second Review: Zhou Zhijun; Third Review: Chang Shi)