Explainer: 88th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident

On July 7, 1937, Japanese troops stationed near Lugou Bridge – also known as Marco Polo Bridge – on the outskirts of Beijing, demanded entry to nearby Wanping County on the pretext of searching for a missing soldier. The Chinese military rejected the order, and the Japanese bombed the county seat and the bridge, triggering China's full-scale resistance against the Japanese invasion.

Japan has historically blamed China for the escalation of the war, claiming that China fired the first shot – a distortion that has even appeared in revised versions of middle school history textbooks.

Eighty-eight years on, by examining the events leading up to and following this incident, we can learn from history and cherish the peace that was paid for with tears and blood.