Baliqiao

Baliqiao

Baliqiao is a cultural heritage site protected by the Beijing Municipality.

Destination Introduction

Baliqiao, also known as Yongtong Bridge, was built in the 11th year of the Zhengtong reign during the Ming Dynasty (1446). Running from north to south, it is 30 meters long and 16 meters wide. The bridge is adorned with 33 carved railings and 33 pairs of stone lions on both sides, all exquisitely crafted, making it one of Beijing’s three ancient bridges.

Baliqiao is situated over the Tonghui River beside Jianguo Road and guards a key route to eastern Beijing. On the 7th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign (August 1860), British and French invasion forces advanced northward from Tianjin toward the capital but were halted by 30,000 Qing troops here. After an earth-shattering and bloody battle, all 30,000 soldiers died defending their homeland, composing a heroic and tragic chapter in Qing history.

Flipping through the blood-soaked pages of China’s modern history, you’ll be astonished to find that even before the ink dried on the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Whampoa, the British and French invaders, under the pretext of treaty revision, provoked another war of aggression against China. In November 1857, they dispatched troops to capture Guangzhou, taking Governor-General Ye Mingchen captive and imprisoning him in Calcutta, India. The following spring, they advanced northward again, seizing the Dagu Forts in Tianjin and forcing the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Tianjin. The next year, when the British and French failed in their attempt to exchange treaties by force in Tianjin, they resolved to “inflict large-scale retaliation on China.” In July 1860, they assembled 119 warships and over 20,000 troops to launch an attack on the Dagu Forts in Tianjin. Qing soldiers fought back fiercely, with trenches stained red by blood. The Zhili Regional Commander Le Shan died heroically in battle, Tianjin fell, and the Qing military commander Sengge Rinchen retreated overnight to Tongzhou.

The young Emperor Xianfeng, furious, resolved to fight the foreign invaders once more. He concentrated over 20,000 troops under Sengge Rinchen and 6,000 under Shengbao (Emperor Xianfeng’s brother), stationing them in Zhangjiawan, Guojiafen, and Dingfuzhuang to reinforce the capital’s defenses. On August 4, the British and French forces attacked the Qing troops in Zhangjiawan and fired rockets at Sengge Rinchen’s cavalry. The horses panicked, throwing the formation into chaos, and the Qing troops retreated to Baliqiao to block the invaders’ path to Beijing.

Baliqiao is about 10 kilometers from Beijing and lies at the strategic throat between Beijing and Tianjin. In the early hours of August 7, 6,000 British and French troops, under heavy artillery cover, stormed toward Baliqiao. Sengge Rinchen’s forces fought back fiercely, engaging the invaders armed with modern firearms with nothing but flesh and blood. The air outside Tongzhou City shook with the sounds of battle, while dust clouds blotted out the sun at Baliqiao. The Qing soldiers faced death unflinchingly. Shengbao was wounded and thrown from his horse. A tall orderly stood at the bridgehead, waving a yellow flag with black characters, as bullets whistled past him. He remained calm and motionless until he was shot down, earning the admiration of the French commander. By evening, Baliqiao had finally fallen, and Sengge Rinchen retreated south of the bridge to Xianhuzhuang.

Location: Eight li from the West Gate of Tongzhou

The bridge is a stone arch structure. It runs from north to south, spanning the Tonghui River. The bridge is 50 meters long and 16 meters wide. The western side has stone railings with solid panels, featuring 33 ornate carved stone lions on the balusters at either end. Stone beasts are placed at both ends. On the riverbanks to the east and west of the bridge, four stone water-controlling beasts are carved.

During the battles against the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860 and the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, the Chinese people fought heroically against imperialist invaders here. In 1984 and 1986, the northern and southern arches of the bridge collapsed successively but were later restored. About 100 meters east of the southern end of the bridge stands the Qing-era Imperial Stone Road Stele erected during the Yongzheng reign. Transportation: Multiple bus lines including 312, 322, 938, 848, and 728 serve the area.

Scenic Spot Location

Tongzhou District, Beijing — located over the Tonghui River beside Jianguo Road

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Beijing