Lugou Qiao - Marco Polo Bridge
卢沟桥的历史

During the reign (1661 to 1722) of Qing Emperor Kangxi 康熙 (Kāngxī, 1654 – 1722) ) a major flood washed away two of the arches of the Marco Polo Bridge in 1689. Not only was the bridge rebuilt, but the river banks were lined to reinforce them and help prevent erosion and the tendency for the river to change course. It was on that occasion that the Lugou River was renamed the Yongding River (永定河, Eternal Stability), in the hope that the waters would calm down. A stele commemorating that rebuilding stands on the west end of the Marco Polo Bridge.

The memorial shown here, is a stone tablet on the back of a bixi 赑屃 (bìxì), a stone turtle. According to its plaque, it was erected in 1668. It was erected to commemorate an earlier repair and restoration of the bridge during the Kangxi era. Periodic repairs are necessary for any bridge as heavily used as this one was.

Certainly the Kangxi Emperor had time for multiple restoration projects, his was the longest reign of any Chinese emperor: 61 years. Beijing flourished under his reign. He was a great supporter of both scholarship and science. The Kangxi Dictionary was compiled under his command. It serves as a standard reference to the history and development of the Chinese language. His interest in astronomy led him to commission several new astronomical instruments from Ferdinand Verbiest in 1673. He started the construction of Yuanming Yuan 圆明园 (Yuánmíng Yuán), the Old Summer Palace in 1707. He even engaged Jesuits Giuseppe Castiglione and Michel Benoist, to design a small part of it. He supported innovation and learning in all quarters, often challenging the traditional scholars in imperial service. It was an enormous building initiative, encompassing at least eight times the area of the Forbidden City and many more buildings.