Beijing, China --- Historical Sites

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Marco Polo Bridge

Marco Polo Bridge has been made famous by at least three historic events : Marco Polo's description, Emperor Qianlong's inscription, and the outbreak of the War against the Japanese. Officially the bridge was called the "Lugou Stone Bridge", and it was built completely of white stone with a total of 485 stone lions lined on the balustrades of both sides. Marco Polo, the great Italian traveller, saw it in 1276 during his tours in China under the Yuan Dynasty. In the book of travelogues bearing his name, he gave a detailed description of it : "... a very great stone bridge ... For you may know that there are few of them in the world so beautiful, nor its equal ... It is made like this. I tell you that it is quite three hundred paces long and quite eight paces wide, for ten horsemen can well go there one beside the other ... It is all of grey marble very well worked and well founded. There is above each side of the bridge a beautiful curtain or wall of flags of marble and pillars made so, as I shall tell you ... And there is fixed at the head of the bridge a marble pillar, and below the pillar a marble lion ... very beautiful and large and well made." This description earned the bridge its name, Marco Polo, in the Western World. However, Marco Polo may have suffered a slip of memory when he gave the number of arches of the bridge as 24 instead of the 11 that it has always had.

Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern part of the old city of Beijing. It was a palatial residence built in 1694 by Qing Emperor Kangxi for his fourth son, Prince Yongzheng who later succeeded to the throne. This temple consists of five main buildings lying on the north-south axis, with annex halls standing on both sides. After the death of his father, Emperor Yongzheng moved to the Forbidden City. The compound was closed to ordinary people and was renamed Yonghegong (the Palace of Harmony). Green roof tiles were replaced by yellow ones to suit a monarch's home. In 1744 his successor Emperor Qianlong converted the palace into a lamasery.

Hutong

Prince Gong's Mansion

Prince Gong's Mansion is one of the few intact aristocratic residences from the Qing Dynasty. It is located near Shichahai Lake, to the northwest of the Forbidden City. The private residence of He Shen, a favorite minister of Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty, the mansion was built in 1777 with 31 pavilions, halls, and residential buildings; 9 courtyards; several arched bridges; large ponds with islands; an immense rock garden; and a private pagoda for gazing the moon.
The garden in Prince Gong's Mansion covers 28,000 square meters and is studded with artificial hills, trees, flowers, pavilions, terraces, and traditional buildings. From the arched stone gate in typical Western architectural style, people can see a 5-meter-high artificial Peak, which is a rock procured from Taihu Lake in southern China. A hill bearing a stone tablet inscribed with the Chinese character "fu" (happiness) in the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi (1662 - 1723). Yaoyue Platform, lying on the top of the rockery, is the highest point in this garden.

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Beijing Photo Gallery Sections [ Tiananmen Square ] [ Forbidden City ] [ Imperial Parks ] [ Other Historical Sites ] [ Great Wall ] [ Modern Beijing ]
Marco Polo Bridge
Marco Polo Bridge has been made famous by at least three historic events : Marco Polo's description, Emperor Qianlong's inscription, and the outbreak of the War against the Japanese. Officially the bridge was called the "Lugou Stone Bridge", and it was built completely of white stone with a total of 485 stone lions lined on the balustrades of both sides. Marco Polo, the great Italian traveller, saw it in 1276 during his tours in China under the Yuan Dynasty. In the book of travelogues bearing his name, he gave a detailed description of it : "... a very great stone bridge ... For you may know that there are few of them in the world so beautiful, nor its equal ... It is made like this. I tell you that it is quite three hundred paces long and quite eight paces wide, for ten horsemen can well go there one beside the other ... It is all of grey marble very well worked and well founded. There is above each side of the bridge a beautiful curtain or wall of flags of marble and pillars made so, as I shall tell you ... And there is fixed at the head of the bridge a marble pillar, and below the pillar a marble lion ... very beautiful and large and well made." This description earned the bridge its name, Marco Polo, in the Western World. However, Marco Polo may have suffered a slip of memory when he gave the number of arches of the bridge as 24 instead of the 11 that it has always had.


Yonghegong Lamasery
Yonghegong is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern part of the old city of Beijing. It was a palatial residence built in 1694 by Qing Emperor Kangxi for his fourth son, Prince Yongzheng who later succeeded to the throne. This temple consists of five main buildings lying on the north-south axis, with annex halls standing on both sides. After the death of his father, Emperor Yongzheng moved to the Forbidden City. The compound was closed to ordinary people and was renamed Yonghegong (the Palace of Harmony). Green roof tiles were replaced by yellow ones to suit a monarch's home. In 1744 his successor Emperor Qianlong converted the palace into a lamasery.







Hutong



Prince Gong's Mansion
Prince Gong's Mansion is one of the few intact aristocratic residences from the Qing Dynasty. It is located near Shichahai Lake, to the northwest of the Forbidden City. The private residence of He Shen, a favorite minister of Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty, the mansion was built in 1777 with 31 pavilions, halls, and residential buildings; 9 courtyards; several arched bridges; large ponds with islands; an immense rock garden; and a private pagoda for gazing the moon. The garden in Prince Gong's Mansion covers 28,000 square meters and is studded with artificial hills, trees, flowers, pavilions, terraces, and traditional buildings. From the arched stone gate in typical Western architectural style, people can see a 5-meter-high artificial Peak, which is a rock procured from Taihu Lake in southern China. A hill bearing a stone tablet inscribed with the Chinese character "fu" (happiness) in the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi (1662 - 1723). Yaoyue Platform, lying on the top of the rockery, is the highest point in this garden.