The history of Central Hospital can be traced back to the Central Model Army Hospital established in 1929. In January 1930, the Executive Yuan of National Government renamed it into the National Central Hospital, with funds donated by
Aw Boon Haw (Chinese:胡文虎), a Burmese Chinese businessman. It was the first modern national hospital in China created by the Chinese people with their own efforts and the first national Western hospital nationwide established by the Chinese people. Liu Ruiheng (Chinese:刘瑞恒), a former minister of the Health Department of National Government, was made the hospital's first director. The Central Hospital used to be closely connected to the Medical School of the Central University in Nanjing. For example, Qi Shounan (Chinese:戚寿南), the Dean of the Medical School of Central University served concurrently as the general director of the National Central Hospital. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Central Hospital was moved to Changsha, then to Guiyang, and finally to Chongqing in 1941. The Chongqing Central Hospital was initially the attached teaching hospital of the National Shanghai Medical School (whose predecessor was formerly the Medical School of Central University in Shanghai). After the war, a part of the National Central Hospital moved back to Nanjing, a part remained in Chongqing and a part moved to Guangzhou. In 1950, the Nanjing Central Hospital was renamed the Hospital of the East China Military Command (Before long, the Medical School of Nanjing University, originally the Medical School of Central University, was renamed the Medical School of the East China Military Command, whose teaching hospital therefore being the Hospital of the East China Military Command), which was renamed the General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command in 1955 and the Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command in 1986. Subsequently, the National Central Hospital evolved into the Nanjing General Hospital (the former Nanjing Central Hospital), the Chongqing Southwest Hospital (the former Chongqing Central Hospital), and then the Guangdong General Hospital (the former Guangzhou Central Hospital). ==Historical preservation==