|
BEIJING – Lugou Bridge |
This Famous Bridge is in the southwest suburbs, about  15 kilometers away from the city. Originally Lugou Bridge was built in 1193, during the Jin Dynasty, and was reconstructed several times in the following dynasties. It has its name because Marco Polo described it in his Travels.
The marble bridge has eleven arches, and measures 266.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide. Altogether 485 Finely Carved Lions, in distinctive style, are on each baluster. They are most impressive. The bridge was described by poets as a place where people would send off their beloved ones, or friends. The best time to visit it is at dawn, when a Morning Moon is hanging over the sky. A Stone Tablet with an inscription by the Qing Emperor, Qianlong, says “Morning Moon Over Lougou Bridge” stands at one end of the Bridge. Another historical incident that made the bridge famous is the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.This is when Japanese troops illegally occupied a railway junction outside Wanping. Then came the War of Resistance against Japan. Now a Memorial Hall is established there. |
