Houle Pavilion

　　   Houle Pavilion is situated on the left side of Tongcheng High School campus. It is a pavilion-style structure featuring four pillars and an octagonal hip-and-gable roof. To its left stands the memorial monument of the great communist fighter, proletarian revolutionary, and distinguished alumnus of Tongcheng High School, Comrade Huang Zhen. The inscription on the monument was written by Zhang Kaifan, a senior provincial-level official and calligrapher from Anhui Province. The plaque inscribed with the name “Houle Pavilion” was personally written by Huang Zhen.

　　   Huang Zhen (1909–1989), a native of Tongcheng (now part of Zongyang), graduated from Tongcheng High School and later studied at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and the Shanghai Xin Hua Art University. He joined the revolution in 1931 and the Chinese Communist Party in 1932. He held key positions such as Minister of Propaganda and Political Commissar in the Red Army Corps, and participated in the Long March. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he devoted 27 years to the diplomatic front, serving successively as China’s Ambassador to Hungary, Indonesia, and France, as well as Director of the U.S. Liaison Office. He later transitioned to the fields of propaganda and culture, holding positions including First Deputy Minister of the Central Propaganda Department, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, and Standing Committee Member of the Central Advisory Commission. Huang Zhen visited his alma mater three times—in 1958, 1980, and 1988—to inspect its work. He donated the precious revolutionary historical material “Long March Sketchbook,” created during the Long March, and raised funds to establish an alumni library fund. He personally inscribed the plaque for “Houle Pavilion” to inspire students and teachers to aim high, serve the nation, and dedicate themselves to the country.