Lions, lions, lions everywhere! Covered in intricate lions, from Beijing, Tokyo, is the Lugou Bridge! Also known as the Marco Polo bridge, this bridge was first constructed in 1189 and completed in 1192. One interesting thing about this bridge is the many carved stone lions upon it. There are said to be as many as 485 lions placed on this bridge today. Back when the Marco Polo bridge was first built, there was originally about 627 lions. These lions rest on the stone pillars that support this bridge. The Marco Polo bridge is about 874 long and about 30 feet wide. This bridge is made of solid granite. The Marco Polo bridge is famed for its aesthetic features. For example, this bridge has a large arch with ten smaller ones to prevent damage from ice and flood.…show more content… This bridge was later on to be repaired around 1698. The Marco Polo bridge is said to be the oldest multi-arched bridge in Beijing. This bridge was named after the famous explorer Marco Polo, after the description of him.
Interestingly enough, there happened to be an eight-year long war that started on this very bridge. China’s entry into this war began with shots on the Marco Polo in 1937, when the Japanese attacked the Chinese. This resulted in the occupation of Beijing. This war ended in the surrender of Japan in 1945. TravelChinaGuide.com states that although this bridges holds a very special place in the modern history of China, it also serves painful memories of the war. Another pleasing feature on the Marco Polo bridge happens to be the steles on one side of the bridge. One of the steles describes the reconstruction of the bridge by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty from 1698. The other stele has calligraphy by Emperor Qinglong. The writing says “Morning Moon over Lugou”. This bridge is a big scenic spot since it was completed over 700 years