Lugou Bridge

The old Marco Polo Bridge, also known as Lugou Bridge, is located on the Yongding River in Fengtai District, about 15 kilometers southwest of Beijing. It is the oldest existing stone coupled arch bridge in Beijing. The Yongding River was formerly known as the Lugou River, and the bridge was also named after Lugou. It was first built in the 29th year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1189) and rebuilt in the 9th year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty (1444). It was destroyed by floods during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in the 37th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1698). The bridge is 266.5 meters long, 7.5 meters wide, and divided into eleven culverts. There are 140 stone guardrails on both sides of the bridge with 140 pillars on each side, and 501 lying stone lions of various sizes are carved on the pillar heads (data provided by the Marco Polo Bridge Cultural Relics Protection Department), with different and lifelike expressions. In the stele pavilion to the east of the bridge, there is a white marble stele inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty "Lugou Xiaoyue", which is one of the eight scenic spots in Yanjing. Italian traveler Marco Polo praised it in his travel notes as "the best and unique bridge in the world". To the east of the bridge is Wanping County, which was built in the 11th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1638). On July 7, 1937, Japanese imperialism launched a full-scale war of aggression against China here. The Chinese garrison in Wanping City rose up to resist, which was known in history as the "Marco Bridge Incident" (also known as the "July 7th Incident").

Stone lions on the Marco Polo Bridge

The Marco Polo Bridge is 266.5 meters long, 7.5 meters wide, and 9.3 meters wide at its widest point. There are ten bridge piers and 11 holes. The entire bridge is made of

stone structure, and key parts are connected by silver ingots and iron tenons. It is the longest ancient stone bridge in North China. In particular, the bridge pier construction method is quite unique. The bottom of the pier is in the shape of a boat, and the water-dividing point is built on the water surface. The shape is like a pointed bow, and its function is to resist the impact of flowing water. The stone carvings on the bridge are very exquisite. There are a total of 281 pillars on the stone guardrails of the bridge. The pillars are 1.4 meters high. The pillars are carved with rosettes and lotus leaf piers under the seats. There are numerous stone lions carved on the tops of the pillars. There are countless stone lions of different sizes and shapes carved on the pillars. There is a folk saying that says: "The stone lions on Marco Polo Bridge are countless." The "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" of the Ming Dynasty also records that the stone lions on Marco Polo Bridge are "innumerable". Many tourists tried to figure out the number, but they were dizzy after counting, and finally gave up. In 1962, the relevant departments specially sent people to conduct an inventory and registered them one by one. They counted 485 large and small stone lions. At this point, it should be said that the "mystery has been solved". Unexpectedly, during the reexamination in 1979, 17 more stone lions were discovered. In this way, the total number of large and small stone lions should be 502. Whether they will be discovered again in the future, no one dares to put an end to this. The famous architect Mr. Luo Zhewen’s article "The Marco Polo Bridge Famous at Home and Abroad" once gave a very vivid description of these beautifully carved stone lions with vivid expressions: "...Some hold their heads high and look up to the sky; some have their eyes focused. , looking at the bridge; some turned their heads sideways, facing each other, as if talking; some were nurturing the lions, as if calling softly; there was a stone lion in the east of the south of the bridge, with one ear raised, as if listening. The gurgling water under the bridge and the conversations of passers-by... are really diverse and vivid. "Famous bridges all over the world have their own special features, but the Marco Polo Bridge has a unique charm and is famous both at home and abroad for its superb bridge construction technology and exquisite stone lion carvings. It is a wonder in the ancient and modern world.

Repair of the Old Marco Polo Bridge -

The bridge was repaired six times in the Ming Dynasty from the 10th year of Yongle (1412 AD) to the 34th year of Jiajing (1555 AD). There were no major projects in 6 times.

From the first year of Emperor Kangxi (AD 1662) to the reign of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, the government built bridges 7 times, of which 5 were minor projects and only two were slightly larger.

After the death of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty in 1908 AD, he was buried in Xiling, Yixian County, Hebei Province, and had to pass through this bridge. Due to the narrow bridge deck, the stone railings on both sides of the bridge had to be temporarily removed and wooden bridges were built on both sides to facilitate the smooth passage of the coffins. Afterwards, the stone fence was restored as it was.

A white marble stele inscribed by Emperor Qianlong "Morning Moon at Marco Polo Bridge"

From 1908 to 1949, there were no major repair projects on Marco Polo Bridge, and only railings and stone lions were added in some places.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the People's Government paved the Marco Polo Bridge with asphalt and built the pavilion, stone railings and lion pillars on the bridge.

In 1967, the trail was widened by more than 400 meters and 59 concrete beams were built.

In 1986, the Beijing Municipal Government specially established the "Lugou Bridge Historical Relics Restoration Committee" to initiate activities to protect the ancient bridge and restore the original appearance of the ancient bridge; coordinate planning, mobilize all walks of life, and organize repairs. The project raised 3.55 million yuan.

During the project, the footpath and concrete beams that were widened in 1967 were dismantled, and the original stone columns were reinforced; the asphalt was removed and the bridge deck was restored; Wanping City was repaired and the city tower was restored. And comprehensively renovated the bridge piers. Partial weathering and anti-leakage protection measures have also been implemented for all the pillars, railings, floor coverings, bridge decks, ornamental tables, stone tablets, etc. of the ancient bridge. During the renovation of the bridge deck, a seal was left in the middle to completely retain the original shape of the ancient bridge. In June 1997, some of the stone lions and pillars damaged by lightning were repaired and repaired.

In order to protect the Old Marco Polo Bridge, an ancient bridge famous both at home and abroad, in 1971, Beijing built the "Pluto New Bridge" about one kilometer away from the Ancient Marco Polo Bridge. This is a 17-hole cross-river highway bridge with a total length of 54.99 meters and a width of 15.5 meters. Emperor Kangxi