Marco Polo Bridge (盧溝橋)

 

Marco Polo Bridge [bjodb.cn]

In his world-renowned book "The Travels of Marco Polo", the Italian traveler wrote, "Over this river there is a very fine stone bridge, so fine indeed, that it has very few equals in the world." The bridge here refers to Lugou Bridge, or known as Marco Polo Bridge to Westerners, which is situated in Beijing's Fengtai District. Originally built in 1189, the bridge is 266.5 meters (874 feet) long, 9.3-meters (30.5 feet) wide, and supported by 281 pillars on which stand numerous stone lions. At the extreme of the bridge there is a stone stele bearing the inscription "The Moon over the Lugou Bridge at Dawn" in the handwriting of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) of the Qing Dynasty. Since then, the bridge has been a renowned scenic spot to admire the exquisite stone sculptures and the glorious full moon.