However, this proposal was not recognized by British leader Elgin. He believes that the Forbidden City is the political center of the Qing Dynasty. Once it is destroyed, it will definitely be resisted by the Qing army to the death, which may be difficult to end. So I finally chose Yuanmingyuan, the "back garden" of Xianfeng, to teach Xianfeng a lesson.
In the end, Yuanmingyuan was looted and burned, and all the incalculable treasures at that time were robbed. At that time, a French officer revealed that the treasure he robbed was sold for 700,000 francs.
Extended data eight-nation alliance
After Beijing was occupied, soldiers chartered by Commander-in-Chief Eight-Nation Alliance and German Marshal Vadexi publicly robbed for three days, and then the armies of various countries robbed for many days. China's precious cultural relics have suffered unprecedented catastrophe.
The treasures treasured for many years in the Palace and the Summer Palace were looted. General aleko Xie Ye Fu, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, and others "looted" dozens of gold and precious stones in Cixi's bedroom.
After the British and French soldiers robbed all kinds of treasures, they took away the big things, put them in coats and bags, and shipped them back to their posts. In Songzhu Temple alone, more than 3,000 gold-plated bronze buddhas, 1400 splendid products and 4,300 bronzes were lost. Even the gold plating on the copper cylinder in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was scraped off by the bayonet of the invading army, and it is still being scraped.
Yuanmingyuan was built in 1709 (forty-eight years of Kangxi). It was originally a gift from Emperor Kangxi to Yin Zhen, the fourth son of Emperor Kangxi. After Yongzheng 1722 acceded to the throne, the original garden was expanded. In the south of the garden, Zheng Da Guangming Hall, Qin Zhengtang and many value rooms of the Cabinet, Sixth Department and Military Department were built, hoping to "avoid noise and listen to politics" here in summer.
During the Qianlong period, in addition to the local reconstruction of Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden was built in the east and merged into Wanchun Garden in the southeast.
The pattern of three gardens in Yuanming has basically taken shape. Jiaqing Dynasty mainly rebuilt and expanded Qichun Garden (Wanchun Garden), making it one of the main gardens.
During the reign of Daoguang, state affairs declined and financial resources were insufficient. However, the furnishings of Wanshou, Xiangshan and Yuquan "Three Mountains" were withdrawn, Jehol stopped summering and Mulan hunted, and the reconstruction and decoration of Yuanming Three Gardens have not been abandoned.
1860101On October 6th, the British and French allied forces looted Yuanmingyuan, looted cultural relics and burned it. When Emperor Tongzhi tried to repair them, he was forced to stop and rebuild other buildings because of financial difficulties. After Eight-Nation Alliance, it was attacked by bandits and eventually turned into ruins.
Baidu Encyclopedia _ Yuanmingyuan