Norman Bethune Memorial Hall

Norman Bethune Memorial Hall

The Norman Bethune Memorial Hall is situated in Songyankou Village, Gengzhen Town, next to the site of the "Model Hospital." It serves as a special place for paying homage and commemorating the international communist fighter Comrade Norman Bethune. As you enter the memorial hall, you’ll find a grand white marble statue of Bethune standing solemnly—his prominent nose, blue eyes, and Eighth Route Army uniform rendered in strikingly lifelike detail. Built in 1967, the Norman Bethune Memorial Hall covers an area of 2,500 square meters and stretches from north to south. Upon entering the courtyard, you’ll see a square white marble monument with a base that is 1.65 meters on each side. Five layers of stone steps are built inward to form a platform. The front of the monument is inscribed with the full text of "In Memory of Norman Bethune." To the left of the monument is an inscription by Xu Xiangqian: “Learn from Comrade Bethune’s proletarian internationalist revolutionary spirit.” To the right is an inscription by Nie Rongzhen: “The great internationalist Comrade Bethune will forever be our role model.” The back of the monument bears an inscription by Bo Yibo: “Learn from Comrade Bethune’s glorious example of uniting revolutionary spirit with science and technology.” Behind the monument is an exhibition hall that is 27 meters wide and 8 meters deep, displaying photos of Bethune during his time working in Songyankou, as well as reproductions of documents, diaries, and other items.

Gengzhen Town: Gengzhen is located east of Wutai County, bordering Gaohongkou to the south, Menxianshi Township to the east, Jiangfang and Gaohongkou to the west, and Lingjing Township to the north. The township comprises 49 administrative villages with a population of 15,830 and a labor force of 3,791. Gengzhen serves as a goods distribution hub along the middle and upper reaches of the Qingshui River. It is also a key transportation junction in the county, with roads leading to Mount Wutai and Fuping in Hebei Province. The area has relatively good forest vegetation and produces a large amount of timber annually. ... Gengzhen Town detailed information++