In the 1990s, the song "Beijing's Bridges" became a nationwide hit, depicting the diverse and magnificent bridges of Beijing: the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, the Gaoliang Bridge, the Jinshui Bridge, the Anzhen Bridge, the Lugou Bridge, the Sanyuan Bridge, and more. The "Qing Dynasty Compendium" recorded the number of bridges in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty: "There are a total of 370 bridges, both large and small, inside and outside the capital city." Over time, most of these bridges may no longer exist, making those that have survived to the present day even more precious.
Lugou Bridge
The Lugou Bridge, located about 15 kilometers southwest of Beijing in Fengtai District over the Yongding River, is named after the Lugou River (also known as the Yongding River) that it spans. It was first built in 1189, destroyed by floods, and then rebuilt in the 37th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign (1698). It is the oldest surviving stone-arched bridge in Beijing.
The Lugou Bridge is 266.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide, with the widest point reaching 9.3 meters. It has ten piers and a total of eleven arches. The entire bridge is made of stone, with key parts connected by silver ingot-shaped iron tenons. It is the longest ancient stone bridge in North China. At the eastern end of the bridge, in a pavilion, stands a white marble stele inscribed with the words "Lugou Xiaoyue", written by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. This stele is part of the "Eight Views of Yanjing," a renowned list of scenic spots in Beijing.
On July 7, 1937, the Chinese Anti-Japanese forces fired the first shot of the full-scale War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression at the Lugou Bridge.
Seventeen-Arch Bridge
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge is a stone bridge located over Kunming Lake in Beijing's Summer Palace, built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The bridge connects the eastern shore of Kunming Lake with Nanhu Island. It features seventeen circular arch openings, which is how it got its name, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
Similar to the Lugou Bridge in Beijing, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge also features stone lion sculptures on the tops of the balustrade posts along both sides of the bridge. In total, there are 544 unique stone lions, each with its own distinct form. Around the winter solstice each year, about one to two hours before sunset, the "Golden Light Piercing the Arches" phenomenon occurs on the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, creating a spectacular sight.
Jade Belt Bridge
The Jade Belt Bridge is located on the Western Causeway of the Summer Palace, a royal garden from the Qing Dynasty. In the winter of the 14th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1749), the emperor, to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday, ordered large-scale dredging and improvements to the lake and surrounding landscape. The lake was expanded to the northeast, the eastern embankment was rebuilt, and a new western causeway was constructed through the lake, modeled after the Su Causeway of West Lake in Hangzhou. This created a division of the lake into three parts, and it was named Kunming Lake.
There are six bridges on the Western Causeway, known as the Six Bridges of the Western Causeway. The Jade Belt Bridge, considered the crown of the six, is the only stone bridge with an arch structure among them. The bridge is made of a bluish-white stone that resembles jade, and its graceful, elegant appearance gives it the likeness of a jade belt, which is how it got its name.
Yinding Bridge
The Silver Ingot Bridge is located over the waterway between Qianhai and Houhai in the Shichahai area of Beijing's Xicheng District. It was first built during the Ming Dynasty and is a north-south single-arch stone bridge. The bridge is named Silver Ingot Bridge because its shape resembles a silver ingot.
In the past, standing on the Silver Ingot Bridge offered a distant view of the Western Hills, giving rise to the scenic name "Silver Ingot Viewing the Mountain." This view was one of the "Eight Little Views of Yanjing," a famous group of scenic spots in Beijing. On clear days, visitors could often be seen on the bridge, gazing out over the water. The silhouette of the Western Hills appeared faint under the blue sky and white clouds, creating a soft, misty scene. The shimmering waters of Houhai reflected the light, with the shadows of trees along the banks adding a tranquil, timeless beauty to the landscape.
Bali Bridge
The Bali Bridge, originally named Yongtong Bridge, is also known as Bali Bridge because it is located 8 kilometers east of Tongzhou.
The Bali Bridge was built in the 11th year of the Zhengtong reign during the Ming Dynasty (1446 AD). It spans 50 meters in length from north to south and 16 meters in width from east to west. The balustrades have 33 pairs of stone columns, each adorned with carved stone lions. At both the eastern and western ends of the bridge, there is a pair of protective beasts, featuring long manes and dense scales, standing proudly with heads raised. On the stone slopes protecting the bridge, four water guardians lie in wait, their necks twisted and heads lowered, glaring angrily at the green waves below.
Liulihe Bridge
The Liulihe Bridge is located north of Liulihe Town in Fangshan District, Beijing. It was built between the 18th and 25th years of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1539–1546). The bridge is an eleven-arch stone bridge with varying spans, measuring approximately 170 meters in length, 11 meters in width, and 6 meters in height. It is the largest stone arch bridge in Fangshan District, second in scale only to the Lugou Bridge.
Historically, this ancient bridge served as a vital link for north-south transportation and once witnessed bustling traffic with carriages passing by. Today, people can still see the wheel tracks on the bridge surface, marks that have been left for centuries. Some of these tracks are several centimeters deep, caused by the constant passage of ancient iron-axle carts over the years.
Translator: BAI Jing
