The Old Summer Palace Of Beijing 圓明園

[hala]

Old Summer Palace Of Beijing

The Old Summer Palace, also known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness, and originally called the Imperial Gardens, was a complex of palaces and gardens 8 km (5 miles) northwest of the walls of Beijing, built in the 18th and early 19th century, where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and handled government affairs (the Forbidden City inside Beijing was used only for formal ceremonies). Known for its extensive collection of garden and building architecture and other works of art (a popular name in China was the "Garden of Gardens"), the Imperial Gardens were entirely destroyed by troops from Britain and France in 1860. Today, the destruction of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still regarded as a symbol of foreign aggression and humiliation in China.
-wikipedia.org-























On October 18, 1860, the British general Lord Elgin - ignoring protests from the French - purposely ordered the huge complex destroyed in retaliation for the imprisonment, torture, and execution of several British diplomatic envoys who had been promised safe conduct by the Qing government. It took 3,500 British troops to set the entire place ablaze and took three days for it to burn. ...The burning of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still a very sensitive issue in China today.
-wikipedia.org-





A Chinese studio took 10 years and spent over 10 millions dollars to recreate the CG images of the palace before the invasion. The documentary will release in 2006.

















pictures above are from http://www.skyscrapers.cn

[hkskyline]

There was a Western-style palace in this complex as well. Today, the ruins of this building are open to the public to explore and take pictures.

[Mr. Fusion]

It is magnificent, rebuild it! How much would it cost?

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fusion

It is magnificent, rebuild it! How much would it cost?

There have been debates over rebuilding this palace, but it remains in ruins as a reminder of the ugly side of Western imperialism at the turn of the 19th century.

[Ellatur]

perhaps they can build a reconstruction somewhere else?

[Mr. Fusion]

Originally Posted by hala

Is this used as a backdrop for a level in the original "Soul Calibur" video game? I think it is!

Originally Posted by hkskyline

There have been debates over rebuilding this palace, but it remains in ruins as a reminder of the ugly side of Western imperialism at the turn of the 19th century.

Really? That is unfortunate...

[hala]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fusion

It is magnificent, rebuild it! How much would it cost?

It's not just the buildings itself, but a lot of treasures also. The palace used to contain many famous ancient Chinese paintings, calligraphies, jewelries, and books. The British and French troops took away what they believed was precious, and those artifacts are today displayed at the British Museum and the Fontainebleau Art Museum of France. However, they destroyed many art-works, including more than 100 Tong dynasty drawings. Consider that, Tong’s drawings are extremely rare and valuable.

As one of the four most famous imperial libraries, the Wenyuan Hall in the garden originally housed such precious ancient books as The Complete Library of Four Branches of Books 《四库全书》, Gems of the Complete Library of Four Branches of Books 《四库全书荟要》, The Completed Collection of Graphs and Writings of Ancient and Modern Times 《古今图书集成》, and The Complete Library of Yong Le. Each of those Libraries contained more than 10,000 books. Most of they were totally lost. For example, the Yong Le library has only few hundreds books survive.

The question is that people can’t build another Louvre without its collections of art, and can’t rebuild the Library of Alexandria without its books.

[hala]

Some archive pictures taken 146 years ago before the destruction

[hala]

[vipermkk]

All treasures setting in old summer palace worth approximately $10 billion( current value)

[duskdawn]

Yes. It was the best royal garden in China, outraced summer palace 10 times. Millions of treasures have been destroyed and stolen. Many of them are on auction every year in Europe. Some are in the top greatest museums in the world.
I don't advocate rebuild it. Only the emperors can build those massive gardens without caring about the standard living of the poor.
The spot should remain as a memorial to the shameful 150 years we have passed.

[Jiangwho]

treasures were stolen, garden was destroyed . land was occupied. Indeed. I am angry. .

[Platypus]

Originally Posted by VVVV

treasures were stolen, garden was destroyed . land was occupied. Indeed. I am angry. .

Yes, the west committed some atrocities in China which the chinese are always quick to point out. Regrettably, they are usually slower to acknowledge the much larger damage caused by their own Communist Government. One example is the large amount of cutural artifacts destroyed by the red guards during the so-called 'cultural revolution.'

[Andrew]

When is that documentary coming out? What will it be called? Will it be shown in Europe?

[Petroshky]

Originally Posted by Platypus

Yes, the west committed some atrocities in China which the chinese are always quick to point out. Regrettably, they are usually slower to acknowledge the much larger damage caused by their own Communist Government. One example is the large amount of cutural artifacts destroyed by the red guards during the so-called 'cultural revolution.'

I think this kind of preceptions and reactions are relative to the cultures each of us came from. To me, it seems like the west very much like to mention how much Chinese cultural artifacts was "lost" in the Cultural Revolution or other traumatic events in modern Chinese history (yet most of the sources can't seem to elaborate exactly what was destroyed?). Yet, we ARE slower to recognize how much we stoled and destroyed in China from the late 19th century's Opium War to the early 20th century, because we know its easier to just blame it on the government or themselves (i.e. "what they/themselves did was so much more destructive, worse..."), so that way we don't have to think about it as much.

Anyway, I think such opinions are quite relativistic. Of course, the Chinese are likely faster to pointing out how much damages the foreign imperial powers has done to their country in the past, but the West is also quicker to defend itself by accusing the Chinese for doing much worse to themselves. Different cultures on the opposite side of the spectrum not only respects each other, but also fears and blames each other for past errors.

[Kenwen]

Originally Posted by Andrew

When is that documentary coming out? What will it be called? Will it be shown in Europe?

That is a movie, the 3d picture came from a new movie just release now, i want to see it, is a must see movie for me, because the palace was the largest and most expensive............it is like a city itself, is so huge..............................the emperor was really enjoying himself there

[hala]

some previews here (in Chinese tho):


http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/QWXr7F-hRXs/


http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/IJ9akZa0TMo/


http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Eg3OWiyFs_Q/

[Platypus]

Originally Posted by Petroshky

I think this kind of preceptions and reactions are relative to the cultures each of us came from. To me, it seems like the west very much like to mention how much Chinese cultural artifacts was "lost" in the Cultural Revolution or other traumatic events in modern Chinese history (yet most of the sources can't seem to elaborate exactly what was destroyed?). Yet, we ARE slower to recognize how much we stoled and destroyed in China from the late 19th century's Opium War to the early 20th century, because we know its easier to just blame it on the government or themselves (i.e. "what they/themselves did was so much more destructive, worse..."), so that way we don't have to think about it as much.

Anyway, I think such opinions are quite relativistic. Of course, the Chinese are likely faster to pointing out how much damages the foreign imperial powers has done to their country in the past, but the West is also quicker to defend itself by accusing the Chinese for doing much worse to themselves. Different cultures on the opposite side of the spectrum not only respects each other, but also fears and blames each other for past errors.

The destruction of many cultural and historical items during the cultural revolution is an historical fact, admitted later by the Chinese Government. The Government of China has attempted to blame Mao for virtually all the destruction of artifacts that occured but the problem is it is still going on. The construction of the Three Gorges Dam has caused the loss and destruction of many historical sites inlcuding ancient tombs. The crimes the Chinese Government have committed against their own people are well documented (heard of Tiannammin square?). You seem to suggest the west is equally to blame. There is no moral relativism between the actions of the west and the Chinese Communist Party and you are intellectually dishonest not to acknowledge that.

[hala]

Hay hay hay! Take it easy man!

You guys should know that this is not a political debate forum here, right? Please stick with the theme “Old Summer Palace of Beijing” here. If you really want to blame someone or make some great political speech, you are very welcome to create your own thread somewhere else in the “Citytalk and Urban Issues” section.

This is an "Architecture" section, so all we care is ARCHITECTURE

[YelloPerilo]

Originally Posted by Platypus

Yes, the west committed some atrocities in China which the chinese are always quick to point out. Regrettably, they are usually slower to acknowledge the much larger damage caused by their own Communist Government. One example is the large amount of cutural artifacts destroyed by the red guards during the so-called 'cultural revolution.'

Such a typical hypocritical and self-serving reaction. Why don't you say that without the barbaric Opium Wars and consequent destructions, China's history would never have turned that way!?