Kodihua's Tomb

Kodihua's Tomb

Kodihua's Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

Kodihua's Tomb is located within the North China Military Region Martyrs' Cemetery in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. On July 23, 1982, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Hebei Province.

Kodihua (1910–1942) was an Indian doctor who joined the Indian Medical Mission to China in 1935. He once served as the director of the Bethune International Peace Hospital in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. On July 7, 1942, he joined the Chinese Communist Party, and on the morning of December 9 of the same year, he passed away due to epilepsy in Gegong Village, Tang County, Hebei Province, at the age of 32. To commemorate this Indian friend, local soldiers and civilians buried Kodihua’s coffin in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Martyrs’ Cemetery in Nanguan, Tang County.

In 1953, the People’s Government of Hebei Province approved the relocation of the coffins of both Kodihua and Bethune to the North China Military Region Martyrs' Cemetery in Shijiazhuang, where they were buried side by side west of the fountain. In June 1970, Kodihua’s tomb was moved again to the east side of the fountain, facing Bethune’s tomb. In 1971, corridors displaying photos were built on both sides of the tomb site. In November 1979, a 2.7-meter-tall full-body statue of Kodihua was erected in the center of the square in front of the tomb. In September 1982, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Kodihua’s death, the concrete railings around the tomb base were replaced with granite, and the corridors on both sides were extended.

The newly built Kodihua’s Tomb features a seven-step concrete base, with the tomb facing west and situated on an east-west axis. It has a round top and a square base, constructed from granite. The tomb base is inscribed with a biography of Kodihua’s life. In front of the tomb, a white marble gravestone is inlaid with golden characters reading “Tomb of Dr. Kodihua.” To the right of the tombstone stands the Edward Memorial, and to the left is the Basuva Memorial. Behind the tomb is a stone screen topped with glazed tiles.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province