Take the Subway and See: the Marco Polo Bridge

Want to explore far off places over the CNY holiday without having to worry about booking a car or taking a train? Just take the subway! Over the break, we'll be showcasing a few scenic spots and historic sites situated at or near the end of three subway lines. All you've got to do to get there is hop on the subway and take it there.

First Stop: Marco Polo Bridge (卢沟桥 lúgōuqiáo)

What is it?

Made famous for its mention by the explorer Marco Polo in his 13th century travelogue, who was so impressed by the bridge he wrote it “has very few equals in the world.” The bridge is unique in that it has hundreds of stone lions standing at attention on either side, the larger lions featuring smaller lions below them or on top of them.

The bridge also carries historic significance as the site of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on Jul 7, 1937, considered to be the start of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

How to Get There by Subway

From wherever you’re going, make sure you can transfer to either Line 6 or 10, as these lines both have direct transfers to the recently completed Line 16. Once you transfer to Line 16 – either at Erligou Station (二里沟站 èrlǐgōu zhàn) for Line 6 or Fengtaizhan Station (丰台站 fēngtáizhàn) for Line 10 – take the train southbound until you reach the terminus at Wanpingcheng Station (宛平城站 wǎnpíngchéng zhàn). Then, simply get off at Exit D and walk to the south gate of the park.

Important stuff:

Tickets are RMB 20 for adults and can be purchased at the entrance. The bridge and surrounding sites are open from 7.30am-5.30pm daily (last entry is at 5pm).

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Images: Uni You