Nestled in southwest China's mountainous terrain lies Tuyunguan Valley – a silent witness to one of history's most remarkable displays of global solidarity. CGTN journalist Yang Xinmeng's recent exploration reveals how this overlooked site once served as the nerve center of China's largest wartime medical network during World War II.
Where World Medicine Converged
At the height of the anti-fascist struggle, over 3,000 medical professionals from 23 countries and regions established field hospitals in the valley's limestone caves. Soviet surgeons worked alongside American nurses while British pharmacists collaborated with Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, creating unprecedented cross-cultural medical partnerships.
"Their stethoscopes became weapons against despair," Yang noted. "These healers didn't just treat wounds – they preserved humanity's conscience in darkness."
Legacy in Limestone
Archival records show the valley's medical network saved over 120,000 lives between 1941-1945, including 8,000 injured Allied soldiers. Modern visitors can still find faded Red Cross symbols on cave walls and rusted surgical tools preserved in local museums.
Echoes for Today
As geopolitical tensions rise, Tuyunguan's story offers timely lessons about international cooperation. The valley's forgotten corridors remind us that true peace requires both battlefield courage and the quiet persistence of those who mend what war breaks.
