Just 5 miles from the Forbidden City, one can find the ruins of the Old Summer Palace or 圆明园(Yuánmíngyuán). Once a sprawling mass of luscious gardens and elaborate palaces, the remaining pillars and stones in the “Garden of Perfect Brightness” only hint at its former glory.
Divided into 3 different gardens, the Old Summer Palace covered more than 860 acres. Countless pieces of Chinese art decorated the walls of the many pavilions, temples, and halls, some of which dated back to the Han Dynasty. After its creation in 1709, the Old Summer Palace was continuously expanded, even Western architecture was added to its lands.
However, its glory could not be preserved. During the Second Opium War, in 1860, French and English forces sacked the palace, stealing thousands of valuable antiquities and artworks. The destruction didn’t stop there — a week later, the French and English returned and torched much of the palace to the ground. Only a handful of buildings remained after the Second Opium War. But forty years later, during the Boxer Rebellion, all of the remaining buildings were destroyed.
Today, some of the stolen artwork has been returned to China, including 7 animal heads of a zodiac sculpture. Yet many of the other antiquities are scattered in museums all over the world, or simply missing. To China, the ruins of Yuanmingyuan are a reminder of the devastating attacks on Chinese Culture.
Now, on the former gardens stand two of China’s most prestigious universities, Peking University and Tsinghua University. Recently, debates into whether Yuanmingyuan should be restored have been discussed by experts and civilians alike. And, just last year, Yuanmingyuan’s archeological department announced a plan to start restoring certain artifacts. These artifacts are being recreated digitally and the 3D models will be available in an online gallery. Some do want to expand renovations to the architecture around Yuanmingyuan, but as of now the only repairs are digital.
Sources:
- https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/attraction/old-summer-palace.htm#:~:text=Yuanmingyuan%20was%20originally%20founded%20in,expansion%20lasted%20for%20150%20years.
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-sculptures/two-bronze-animal-heads-stolen-153-years-ago-returned-to-china-idUSBRE95R0HW20130628
- https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30810596
- http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Dec/50968.htm
Amazing article, Ethan! I think it’s very interesting how much history there is to this structure. I learned so much! Thanks for sharing!
When I saw the picture I feel YUANMINGYUAN is very luxurious and Spectacular. Hope I can get here in the future.
i am sure that the Palace would look much better if the british and the french did not invade. However, this is still an very popular tourist attraction.
This was such an informative article! I found it very interesting that some of the antiquities are scattered in museums all over the world and some where returned. It will be very interesting to see the artifacts that are being recreated digitally. It is sad that such a beautiful palace was destroyed I hope they restore it.
Very informative article, Ethan! I find it fascinating that there are two universities located at what was once the former gardens of a palace. I would love to see what the palace would have looked like in the 1700s. History is remarkable- thanks for sharing!
Great article! It’s so sad to read that so much of the palace and artifacts representing Chinese culture have been destroyed. Reading about the 7 returned animal heads makes me curious about the overall sculpture. Are there 5 other animal heads out there?? I’m glad that archaeologists are working to restore artifacts digitally. Thank you for writing!!
It’s so unfortunate how the palace was in ruins as a result of the Second Opium War. However, it’s very fascinating how the artifacts are being recreated digitally. I learned a lot about the history of the Old Summer Palace. After reading your article, I want to go visit the ruins of Old Summer Palace one day.
Wow good job Ethan. Great article. I really wanted to visit this place when I was in China. It’s very sad to see the destruction of art and history in China. I wonder how many pieces of could’ve been saved and how much they could teach us. Thank you
Great article! I never even knew about the Yuanming Garden even though it is near one of the famous tourist attractions of Beijing. It is disheartening to learn that the last remains have been destroyed. I hope one day we will be able to learn more about this garden and its looks. This will definitely be on my to go list when I visit Beijing.
Thanks for the article! I find it unfortunate how the palace was in ruins because of the Second Opium War. I think that the digital recreations of the artifacts, however, is a very intriguing way of maintaining its rich history. I’d love to visit someday!
This article is very informative! I haven’t heard of the YuanMingYuan before, so your article definitely taught me a lot of new facts. I enjoyed reading the history behind the structure. Thanks for writing the article!
It was a pity that the Yuanmingyuan was burned down. It would surely become a world-class scenic spot if it last to today. I feeling sad that I will never get to see it.
A very informative article! I actually read and write an essay about Yuanmingyuan. it is my favorite place in China. It’s very historical and needs to be remembered.
The repair of yuanmingyuan will be a big work. But I think repairing physically is not practical, it takes far more effort and money, it itself is a piece of history and we should not destroy it.
I’ve never heard of the YuanMingYuan before, which is very disappointing to me because it was a very historic place. Unfortunately, it was burned down because of the Second Opium War. Hopefully, I will be able to see the digital recreations of the artifacts. I definitely learned a lot, thank you for writing this article!
A lot of information in this article. I stopped in China for a few hours and I read about this place in pamphlet, but I did not know that they are trying to do restorations.
Although I have not been there, I am very eager to go because it has a very interesting story behind it. I really like the information that was provided in this article.