After going through the ancient city Wanping, I immediately saw Lugou
Bridge. It is located some 15 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing city.
As I approach the bridge, I felt gentle spring breeze sweeping across the
bridge, and saw the famous stone lions along the bridge, they were covered with
traces left behind by over 800 hundreds years of history. It was very quiet
there.
However, in that silent atmosphere, I felt as if I could hear the piercing
shots cutting through the sky: on the night of July 7, 1937, the Japanese troops
stationed to the west of Lugou Bridge flagrantly bombarded Wanping City and
attacked Lugou Bridge. The Chinese defense troops rose up against the Japanese
aggressors. Thus the first shot fired by the Chinese defense troops there opened
the prelude of a nationwide war of resistance against Japanese aggression.
The shot fired 68 years ago broke tranquility at Lugou Bridge, the
bridge wept in the midst of gunfire.
There was once a so-called Japanese historian who made a special trip to
Lugou Bridge, and then declared that he had made new discovery which would stir
the world: it was the Chinese troops who fired the first shot at Lugou Bridge,
and Lugou Bridge Incident was just an accidental occurrence.
However a Chinese historian working at the Memorial Museum of the War of
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression at Lugou Bridge gave him the following
reply: if you are a historian who respects history, you should at least face
squarely up to this fact: why should the Japanese troops left their country and
came to the place near the ancient capital of China to carry out military
exercise?
The shots have solidified on the page of history and the blood has soaked
into the hearts of the people. Thus nobody can erase it.
Just at that
moment, a group of young soldiers came towards me from the other end of the
bridge. Wearing on their young laddish faces were the dignified look,which was
not quite agreeable with their young age. The lieutenant who headed the group
told me that every year when his unit took in recruits, he or other officers
would take them to visit Lugou Bridge, it has now become a compulsory lesson for
all recruits. After walking along Lugou Bridge and feeling the bullet holes on
the ancient city walls of Wanping City with their own hands, these soldiers will
be more energetic in their training.
As a serviceman, I fully
understood the feeling of these young comrades-in-arms when they stood on Lugou
Bridge: on the seesaw of peace and war, soldiers must fully understand the
missions and duties they must shoulder.
Just then, a tourist bus packed
with Taiwan compatriots stopped at the bridge. I asked Ms Jian, a lady in the
group: there are some many places of historical interests in Beijing, why do you
choose to visit Lugou Bridge? Ms. Jian told me that: When she was a primary
school pupil, she learned about Lugou Bridge and its stirring history from her
textbook. Since then, she has been looking forward to see Lugou Bridge with her
own eyes and count numerous stone lions on the bridge.
Yes, no matter where we are, we all have a Chinese heart.
We must
be mindful of the potential danger and stay prepared against adversities in
times of peace. The crack of gunfire at Lugou Bridge will never be forgotten, as
it will echo in the hearts of all Chinese people forever.
By Xia Hongping
(May 17, PLA Daily)