The Loss and Recovery of Cultural Relics from the Old Summer Palace

The Old Summer Palace, once a royal garden, has now become a tragic chapter of history. The cultural relics taken away by the Anglo-French Allied Forces still cause us deep sorrow. So, how many cultural relics were there in the Old Summer Palace? And how many of them have been lost to Britain and France? This article will bring you the truth of this history.

The Old Summer Palace, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was first built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty and took more than 150 years to complete. It gathered the essence of Chinese and Western architectural arts and was known as the "Garden of Gardens". However, in 1860, the Anglo-French Allied Forces invaded Beijing and carried out a frantic looting and burning of the Old Summer Palace. This disaster led to the loss of countless precious cultural relics overseas, becoming an unforgettable trauma in Chinese history.

Regarding the number of cultural relics in the Old Summer Palace, as the accounts of the time have been destroyed, we cannot accurately count the specific figures. However, according to historical records, there were at least over 2 million cultural relics treasured in the Old Summer Palace, covering various aspects such as paintings, porcelains, jade, and gold and silver wares. These cultural relics not only possess extremely high artistic value but also carry the historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.

During that catastrophe, most of the cultural relics in the Old Summer Palace were taken away by the Anglo-French Allied Forces, including some extremely precious national treasures. For example, the Qianlong enamel vase, known as the "King of Chinese Porcelains," was once missing and later found in the hands of a French family. In addition, a large number of cultural relics were lost to countries such as Britain and the United States, and many of them have not been recovered yet.

To retrieve these lost national treasures, the Chinese government and non-governmental organizations have been making unremitting efforts. Over the years, some cultural relics from the Old Summer Palace have successfully returned to the motherland through various channels. For example, in 2009, a seal made by Emperor Qianlong that was lost from the Old Summer Palace was auctioned at a high price in Hong Kong and was finally purchased and donated to the country by a patriotic entrepreneur. The return of these cultural relics is undoubtedly a compensation for the history of the Old Summer Palace and a demonstration of the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation.

However, the road to finding and retrieving the cultural relics of the Old Summer Palace is still fraught with difficulties. Many cultural relics are still unaccounted for, and some have even been circulating on the international market for years, making them difficult to identify. Facing this reality, we need to work harder to find clues and strive to bring more cultural relics from the Old Summer Palace back to the motherland.

In conclusion, the loss of cultural relics from the Old Summer Palace is a painful memory in Chinese history. Although we cannot change the past, we can contribute to the revival of the Old Summer Palace by making efforts to find and retrieve these cultural relics. Let us jointly look forward to the day when these lost national treasures can regain their former glory and witness the prosperity and splendor of the Chinese nation once again.

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