Arrived in Beijing on the afternoon of August 14, 2019, settled down and went to Lugou Bridge.

The Lugou Bridge is an eleven span stone arch bridge, built in the third year of the Ming Chang reign of the Jin Dynasty (1192 AD). Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty named the bridge "Guangli" and renamed it Lugou Bridge because it spans the Lugou River (also known as the Yongding River). In the future, the Ming and Qing dynasties, among others, repaired or rebuilt the Lugou Bridge.

As early as the Warring States period, the area around the Lugou River Ferry was already a transportation hub for Yan Ji and a battleground for soldiers. After the completion of Lugou Bridge, it became a necessary route for southern provinces to enter Beijing during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and an important gateway to Yanjing. The unique natural geographical environment has also nurtured beautiful scenery. Since the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin Dynasty, "Lugou Xiaoyue" has been listed as one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Yanjing". Of course, the most famous incident at Lugou Bridge was the July 7th Incident that occurred here on July 7th, 1937, when the Chinese anti Japanese army fired the first shot in the full-scale resistance war.

The last time I came to Lugou Bridge was almost thirty years ago. I took a quick glance and was deeply impressed by the Lugou Bridge and the ancient city of Wanping to the east of the bridge. Accompanying my wife and children to see Lugou Bridge this time, I looked more calmly.

Arriving at the east of Lugou Bridge, next to the bridge is the West Gate of Wanping.

Walking up to the Lugou Bridge, I saw the longest ancient stone bridge in North China. The bridge deck on both sides of the bridge is shaped like a trumpet, with stone railings on both sides. The entire bridge body is made of stone, and key parts are connected by silver ingots and iron tenons.

On the north side of the eastern end of the bridge, there is a monument and pavilion inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, and outside the pavilion, there is also a monument that Emperor Kangxi rebuilt the Lugou Bridge.

At the east end of the bridge, there is a big stone lion on the top bars on both sides, and ornamental column is also erected. Ornamental column is 4.65 meters high. It has an octagonal Xumizuo under it. It is pierced by cloud slab stone. A stone lion is carved on the disc of the lotus seat. It faces the bridge with a calm demeanor, like greeting and seeing off pedestrians.

Walking up the Lugou Bridge, I saw that the bridge deck was slightly curved, with lower ends and a bulge in the middle. Piers, arches, watchposts, breast boards, boulders, ornamental column, etc. are all built with natural quartz sandstone and marble, while the bridge deck is paved with natural granite giant stones.

After renovation, the middle section of the bridge deck still retains the original granite stone of the ancient bridge deck. Hundreds of years of people and cars have been passing by, and the bridge deck has been worn and uneven, giving it a unique sense of historical vicissitudes.

The most eye-catching feature of Lugou Bridge is the stone lions on the top of the bridge's observation pillars. It is said that there are 281 observation pillars on both sides of Lugou Bridge (141 on the south side and 140 on the north side), with stone lions carved on their heads, feet, or behind their chests. According to records, there were originally 627 small and large stone lions on the pillars of Lugou Bridge, with 501 remaining. Most of the stone lions are from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and there are also a small number of remains from the Jin and Yuan dynasties. These stone lions have undergone multiple major repairs or renovations, with varying levels of stone and craftsmanship, blending the artistic characteristics of different periods. The Lugou Bridge has become an open-air museum of stone carving art from various dynasties since the Jin Dynasty.

The marble pillars and railings of Lugou Bridge are carved with exquisite floral patterns. The marble guardrail on the bridge deck is composed of alternating columns and 279 guardrails, with 140 guardrails on the south side and 139 guardrails on the north side.

At the west end of the bridge, the decoration configuration is roughly the same as that at the east end, but there is also ornamental column. But on both sides of the top railing at the west end of the bridge are two large stone elephants, which are old and weathered by wind and rain, and the details of the stone elephants are not very clear. On the north side of the western end of the bridge, there is also a monument to the Lugou Bridge rebuilt by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Arriving at the north side of the western end of the bridge to see the Lugou Bridge, the pier plane is in the shape of a flat bottomed boat, with the upstream facing to the north, which is the inlet water surface. The masonry diversion point is shaped like a bow, accounting for about a quarter of the pier. At the front end of each water diversion point, there is a triangular cast iron with an acute angle facing outward to reduce the impact of floods and ice, and to protect the stability of the water diversion point. On top of the diversion point, six layers of diversion stone slabs, called Fenghuang Terrace, are covered. The lower two layers are lifted out, and the upper layers are gradually retracted. This not only strengthens the stability of the diversion point, but also balances the bearing pressure of the bridge piers.

To the south of the bridge pier, it follows the water and is built in a streamlined shape resembling the stern of a ship to disperse the water flow and reduce the pressure of the flood on the pier.

Leaving Lugou Bridge, take a detour to the west bank of Yongding River for a distant view. The long bridge is like a rainbow, and the river flows lightly. When I was touring the Lugou Bridge, the river under the bridge dried up and the riverbed was filled with weeds. Time has passed and the scenery has improved significantly compared to the past.

Return to Lugou Bridge and arrive at the West Gate of Wanping.

The city tower is 11.68 meters high, the wall platform is 9.6 meters high, and the overall height is 21.28 meters. The city tower is made of wood, with tube tiles and animal like joints. The second floor has a single eave and rests on the mountaintop, with a width of three rooms. This city tower and Wengcheng are no longer the original, but were rebuilt in 1984. The original city tower and Wengcheng were demolished in 1958. The original name of Wanping West City Gate was "Yongchang Gate", later changed to "Weiyan Gate".

Wanping has been the gateway to southern Beijing since ancient times. Wanping City was built in the tenth year of Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty (1637 AD) with the purpose of garrisoning troops to guard the capital, known as "Gongji" City. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed "Gongbei" City. The Wanping County Office was located near the Drum Tower in the city of Beijing. During the Republic of China period, Wanping County was transferred to Hebei Province, and the Wanping County Office was officially relocated here, hence the name Wanping City. Wanping City is a fortress like Beijing Acropolis, so its initial structure was different from that of ordinary county towns. There are no major streets, alleys, markets, bell and drum towers, and other facilities within the city, only one main street. There are only two gates in the entire city, east and west, and both have Wengcheng and Chenglou. The entire city wall is relatively thick and sturdy, mainly conducive to defending the capital. Wanping City is not very large. It is said that the entire city is 640 meters long from east to west and 320 meters wide from north to south, with a total area of 208000 square meters.

Entering from the west gate and heading towards the east gate, the streets still resemble ancient cities of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

After walking along the street for about ten minutes, you arrived at the East Gate. The name of the East Gate is "Shunzhi Gate", with a gate opening that is 4.5 meters high and 4 meters wide. The shape of the city tower is the same as that of the West Gate.

Exit the East Gate and head south along the walls of Wanping City.

The city wall, city tower, and Wengcheng were all renovated in 1984, but it can be seen that the city wall roughly maintains its original appearance. The foundation of the city wall is made of six layers of stone, with city bricks laid on top. There are battlements and observation holes on the outer sides of the city wall, and shooting holes below.

On the city wall, there are enemy towers and towers, and at the four corners of the wall, there are also corner towers and towers. In the era of cold weapons, the city was well equipped for defense.

The walls of Wanping are filled with bullet marks left by the provocative bombardment of Japanese artillery and machine guns on the evening of July 7, 1937, by the 29th Army guarding Wanping County, which is shocking and unforgettable in history.