PLACE GUIDE

Marco Polo Bridge 卢沟桥

Lugou Qiao

Marco Polo Bridge, known locally as Lugou Bridge, crosses the Yongding River beside Wanping Fortress in southwestern Beijing.

Marco Polo Bridge · 卢沟桥. Photo: 2014-07-12.
Marco Polo Bridge · 卢沟桥. Photo: 2014-07-12. · Alanba42 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Converted to WebP and resized without changing the subject or cropping the source frame.

Explore the region

Beijing · 北京市 →Fengtai District · 丰台区 →

About Marco Polo Bridge

Its sequence of stone arches and balustrades belongs to a long history of bridge building, while the carved lions provide an unusually detailed subject for close looking. Smaller lions appear around some of the larger figures, and their postures vary along the crossing. The bridge is also inseparable from the July 1937 incident that escalated into full-scale war with Japan. Pair its architectural details with Wanping’s nearby historical setting rather than reducing the visit to one photograph.

Construction of the original bridge began in 1189, the final year of the reign of the Jin dynasty's Emperor Shizong, and was completed under his successor in 1192. After flood damage it was rebuilt under the Kangxi Emperor (康熙) of the Qing dynasty in 1698.

The bridge and its approach ramps run 268 meters east to west and 9.4 meters wide, carried on ten piers faced upstream with stone prows and iron pillars to break winter ice, and eleven arches of varying span. At each end stand paired stone huabiao columns (华表), 4.65 meters tall and topped with carved lions, thought to date from the Jin dynasty with later repairs. Because carvings weather and balusters are sometimes replaced, the number of lions on the bridge has never been fixed.

Lugou Xiaoyue (卢沟晓月), "Moon over Lugou at Dawn," was one of the Eight Views of Yanjing (燕京八景), commemorated by a stele inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor (乾隆) at the bridge. The bridge's associated legends were listed in the second Beijing Intangible Cultural Heritage List (北京市第二批非物质文化遗产名录) in 2007 and the fourth National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (第四批国家级非物质文化遗产名录) on 11 November 2014.

What to look for

  • Stone lions: compare the individual poses and look for smaller figures around the larger animals.
  • Arches and end steles: examine the bridge structure and the commemorative inscriptions at its ends.

Location & getting there

Getting to Marco Polo Bridge

The bridge is immediately west of Wanping Fortress in Fengtai, crossing the Yongding River.

  • Specify the historic Lugou Bridge rather than the newer road bridges nearby when arranging the final approach.
General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

Suggested order within this visit:

  1. Eastern bridge end

    Begin beside the Wanping side and its commemorative setting.

  2. Stone-lion balustrades

    Walk the crossing with attention to the changing carvings.

  3. Wanping Fortress

    Return to the adjoining historic setting for the bridge’s twentieth-century significance.

This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.

AI illustration: Weathered carving on a Chinese stone lion (general reference, not this place).
AI illustration · AI 示意图（景观类型参考，非实拍） · 石狮雕刻与风化纹理 — A general visiting detail, not an exact view of this place.
Historic sites & architecture · 历史古迹／建筑 →

Find Marco Polo Bridge

卢沟桥 · 丰台区

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression 中国人民抗日战争纪念馆

1 km away

This war-history museum stands inside Wanping Fortress beside the Marco Polo Bridge, placing its exhibitions close to the July 1937 incident that marked the start of full-scale war between China and Japan. The gate-like museum…

View guide →

Beijing Garden Expo Park 北京园博园

4 km away

Beijing Garden Expo Park preserves the garden exhibition landscape created beside the Yongding River in Fengtai. Its themed gardens allow comparisons among imperial, Jiangnan, and Lingnan design traditions, while the broader…

View guide →

Beijing World Park 北京世界公园

7 km away

Beijing World Park is a miniature-landmark theme park in Fengtai, presenting replicas of well-known buildings and monuments from several continents. Its entrance combines European-inspired architectural forms, followed by…

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1353045272.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "卢沟桥", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 94156820.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Marco Polo Bridge", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1353045272.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07