A62-015. Domestic Travel with Wife and Daughter: 2015 Summer Vacation Tour of East and North China (D15)

Number of days：18 days
Time: August
With whom：parents and children
Tour kinds：Free travel
Updated: 2022.07.21

Day 15 (August 8th)

Having brought my wife, daughter, and three other children to Beijing, today was the only day we had planned to explore Beijing.

A. Visit Marco Polo Bridge (Take a taxi from Tiantan East Road to Marco Polo Bridge, fare 119 yuan).

When you mention Marco Polo Bridge, it's inevitably associated with the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Visiting Marco Polo Bridge on the eve of the September 3rd military parade, on the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, held special significance.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident

The July 7 Incident, also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, occurred on July 7, 1937, marking the beginning of the full-scale outbreak of the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. During a nighttime exercise near Marco Polo Bridge, southwest of Peking, Japanese troops, under the pretext that some of their own soldiers were missing, demanded entry into Wanping County to investigate. Refused by the Republic of China (ROC), the Japanese launched an attack on Wanping County and Marco Polo Bridge in the early morning of July 8. The ROC troops resisted, but only four men survived from a company stationed north of the bridge; the rest all died heroically. The July 7 Incident marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and the start of World War II in Asia.

In addition to its connection to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Marco Polo Bridge itself is one of China's four great ancient bridges, built in 1189.

Lugou Bridge

Lugou Bridge, also known as Marco Polo Bridge, is located about 15 kilometers southwest of Beijing, on the Yongding River in Fengtai District. It gets its name from the fact that it spans the Lugou River (also known as the Yongding River). Built in 1189, it is an eleven-arch stone bridge with arches that gradually increase in size from both banks toward the center. Stone railings flank the bridge deck, with 140 pillars on the north side and 141 on the south side. Each pillar is carved with a lion, leading to a Beijing proverb: "The lions of Lugou Bridge are countless." "Lugou Dawn Moon" has been listed as one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Yanjing" since the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin.

Tickets to the Lugou Bridge scenic area cost 20 yuan.

Marco Polo Bridge

Wanping City Majestic Gate

Wanping City

The Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

The Iron Wall Reliefs at the Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

The Iron Wall Reliefs at the Memorial Hall, titled "Iron Walls," fully embody the Chinese people's united, determined, and indomitable spirit of resistance during the War of Resistance.

Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

C. Visit the Summer Palace (Take a taxi from Wanping City to the North Palace Gate of the Summer Palace, fare 94 yuan).

The Summer Palace is one of China's four famous gardens. Admission is 30 yuan, and the self-guided audio guide rental is 20 yuan per person. Then, visit the Summer Palace, entering through the North Palace Gate and exiting through the East Palace Gate.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in existence in China. It is one of China's Four Great Gardens (the other three are the Mountain Resort in Chengde, the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou). Located in Haidian District, Beijing, 15 kilometers from downtown Beijing, it covers an area of approximately 290 hectares. Using Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill as its base and the scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou as its model, it is a large natural landscape garden built by drawing on some of the design techniques and artistic conception of Jiangnan gardens. It is also the best-preserved imperial palace and garden, and is known as the Royal Garden Museum.

The Summer Palace was originally the imperial palace and garden of the Qing Dynasty. In 1750, Emperor Qianlong, after more than 10 years of construction, used Kunming Lake and Wanshou Hill as the base, took the scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou as a model, and absorbed some design techniques and artistic conception of Jiangnan gardens to build a large natural landscape garden, named "Qingyi Garden". In 1860, Qingyi Garden was burned down by the British and French forces. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled 30 million taels of silver from the navy funds to rebuild the garden, and changed its name to Summer Palace in 1888. In 1900, the Summer Palace was savagely looted and destroyed by the Eight-Nation Alliance of Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria. It was restored in 1903. During the rule of warlords and the Kuomintang, the Summer Palace was still repeatedly damaged. After liberation, it was continuously repaired and regained its youth.

The Summer Palace covers an area of 290 hectares (4,400 mu), with about three-quarters of its area covered by water. The entire garden is centered on the 41-meter-high Tower of Buddhist Incense on Wanshou Hill. Exquisite buildings such as halls, towers, pavilions, corridors, and pavilions are arranged according to different locations and topography. A 728-meter-long corridor at the foot of the mountain, like a rainbow, connects the diverse buildings with the green hills and blue waters. This ingenious design is rare in the history of world garden art. The garden's main attractions are roughly divided into two major parts and three areas: the front mountain and front lake buildings, and the back mountain and back lake buildings. These three areas are: the political activity area, represented by the Renshou Hall, where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu conducted domestic and foreign affairs in the late Qing Dynasty; the living area, represented by courtyards such as the Happy Longevity Hall, where Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, and their concubines lived; and the scenic tourist area, comprising Wanshou Hill and Kunming Lake, where the overlapping corridors and halls form a seamless and magnificent whole.

The Marble Boat at the Summer Palace

Revisiting the old place, the most intuitive feeling is that the Summer Palace is extremely popular. The famous Long Corridor is filled with all kinds of tired tourists, and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge on Kunming Lake has become a place where thousands of sails compete.

Summer Palace Long Corridor