Ming and Qing History 43 Burning the Old Summer Palace
This Chinese historical story recounts the burning of the Yuanmingyuan (Summer Palace) in Beijing during the Second Opium War in 1860. This was a result of Western colonial powers such as Britain, America, and France forcing unequal treaties upon the Qing government, that allowed them to loot China's wealth. A Chinese ship was seized by the British under false pretences, which triggered the war. The Yuanmingyuan, which was an elaborate palace complex built over centuries by Qing emperors and interwoven with traditional Chinese and Western architectural styles, was looted and burned to the ground by the Western forces. The palace had been filled with countless treasures, artworks, and historical artifacts. The destruction of the palace is regarded as one of the greatest cultural losses in Chinese history.