Spanning the Yongding River for over 800 years, the Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge) was once described by Marco Polo as "the most unique bridge in the world" and stands as a witness to the Lugou Bridge Incident (Marco Polo Bridge Incident). The bridge and Wanping Fortress, where the first shot of China's nationwide War of Resistance was fired, were among the first to be designated as national-level memorial sites of the War. The bullet-riddled walls of Wanping Fortress and the weathered stone lions on the Lugou Bridge silently recount the memories of history.
Today, by the Lugou Bridge, an unpaid volunteer tour guide team led by Zheng Ran and other locals frequently provides free historical commentary for visitors. Zheng Ran's grandfather, Zheng Fulai, was an eyewitness to the Incident.
"My grandfather volunteered as a guide on this bridge for 73 years, and I will continue his legacy, ensuring more people learn from history and cherish peace," Zheng Ran said.
In Zheng Ran's memory, her grandfather always wore an old straw hat, braving wind and sun to share stories of the War of Resistance with visitors from around the world—a mission he upheld for over seven decades. As an eyewitness to the Incident, he recounted the atrocities committed by Japanese invaders, described the horrors of war he witnessed, and led listeners back to those turbulent years.
Volunteering for 73 years—And hoping to continue
"I'll keep telling these stories until I'm 100!" Zheng Fulai once said.
"My grandfather volunteered here for 73 years before passing away last July," Zheng Ran said, explaining that his dedication inspired her to take up the torch. By the end of 2024, she had begun her unpaid guiding work on the bridge, visiting two or three times a week to share her grandfather's wartime stories.
"My first time guiding at the bridge, I felt both nervous and proud, deeply aware of the responsibility—it was as if my grandfather was right beside me, guiding me," Zheng Ran recalled. To enrich her commentary, she often researches historical materials and studies her grandfather's notes. Through this, she uncovered more details about the heroic resistance of soldiers and civilians during the war. "My grandfather's words—'Learn as long as you live, only then can you tell history clearly'—moved me deeply and made me understand the weight of passing down these memories."
Born in 1990, Zheng Ran grew up "on the Lugou Bridge and in Wanping Fortress," listening to her grandfather's stories of the past. As a child, she felt distant from that history, but as she grew older, those stories felt increasingly close. Every time she crosses the bridge, she unconsciously locks eyes with the stone lions—each one bearing witness to how Japanese artillery savagely struck Wanping's walls and how countless innocent Chinese lives were lost.
Draw strength from history
To Zheng Ran, "guarding the bridge" means not only preserving historical relics but also upholding the spirit of "remembering history and cherishing peace," the belief in striving for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the passing down of revolutionary heritage. One of her most vivid memories is her grandfather's eyewitness account of the Lugou Bridge Incident: "The War is... brutal. Along the railway, corpses were piled up, and adults hurriedly led children through the bodies to escape the fighting..."
Every time Zheng Fulai recounted this, he couldn't hold back tears, his voice heavy with grief yet filled with a deep appreciation for peace—an expression Zheng Ran remembers.
Though she has only been guiding for a year, Zheng Ran has already hosted many visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas: "They tend to focus on the Lugou Bridge Incident's role in the global anti-fascist war and China's international influence during the resistance, while mainland visitors pay more attention to historical details, heroic tales, and the significance of passing down these memories."
From the chaos of war to today's tranquility, Zheng Ran's repeated retellings have deepened her appreciation for the hard-won peace and strengthened her resolve to preserve history: "We are brought together by reverence for history and a sense of duty to pass it on. I hope young people learn gratitude and draw strength from this history, ensuring future generations cherish this peace forever."
Wanping locals and their 'war-torn family histories'
Like bridge guardian Zheng Fulai, many lifelong Wanping residents carry their own family stories marked by war. Seventy-something Uncle Liu, who grew up in Wanping Fortress, practices tai chi by the city walls almost daily. Pausing his exercise, he told Wen Wei Po reporters: "My elders told me many stories about the Japanese invasion. Those who struggled to survive in those chaotic times could never have imagined the peaceful life we have today. Just look at these shell craters left by the invaders—China's journey to today hasn't been easy!"
Modern Wanping Fortress now has Subway Line 16 at its doorstep, with stations just minutes away on foot. Over a dozen bus routes connect directly to core areas like Beijing West Station and Wukesong, leaving residents marveling at the convenience. On this land once ravaged by war, life today brings tangible happiness and fulfillment.
Reflect on history, cherish the present
Near Wanping's walls, third-grader Wu, who had just finished volunteering as a guide at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, still clutched her cue cards. She noted that she could clearly explain most of the museum's exhibits.
"My teacher said we live in peaceful times, but we must never forget this brutal history," Wu said. Pointing to the Lugou Bridge in the distance, she added, "The stone lions there aren't just decorations—they've witnessed the immense changes of history."
Moved by these realizations, she joined her school's guiding team. "I want to share these stories with more classmates, so everyone understands how hard-won our peace is. We must study hard and build our motherland into a stronger, more prosperous nation."
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Ma Xiaofang, Li Chang; English Editor: Darius)
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