During the negotiations in Tongzhou, the envoys of the two sides had a fierce dispute over minor issues, and Britain's unreasonable demands were rejected by the Qing government, which detained 39 people and sent them to Beijing as hostages. When the British and French allied forces learned about it, they immediately marched into Beijing. In August of the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), Britain and France invaded Beijing on the pretext that trade was blocked. When the Qing government released the hostages, only 18 people survived, and all the others were killed, including seven journalists. 1860, 10, 10 On October 6th, the British and French allied forces occupied Yuanmingyuan. From the next day, in order to retaliate, the British and French allied officers and men frantically robbed and destroyed. In order to force the Qing government to accept the peace conditions as soon as possible, British leader Erkin and British nominal commander Grant ordered Lieutenant General Mitchell to lead more than 3,500 invading troops to Yuanmingyuan on June 5438+0860+ 10/8 on the pretext that the Qing government had imprisoned British and French prisoners of war in Yuanmingyuan. After the British and French invaders arrived at Yuanmingyuan, they looted it. Later, as revenge, James Bruce, Earl of Elgin, the leader of the British army, with the support of British Prime Minister Pa Max Don, ordered the Yuanmingyuan to be burned down. And Gordon was sent to carry out the order to burn the Yuanmingyuan. The fire burned for three days and nights, leaving the world-famous garden in ruins. This is a catastrophe in the history of mankind and civilization.
After the British and French allied forces captured Beijing in the tenth year of Xianfeng in Qing Dynasty (1860), they occupied Yuanmingyuan on June 6, 10. China's defenders were outnumbered, and Wenfeng, the chief minister of Yuanmingyuan, committed suicide by throwing himself into Fuhai. Chang Ai, who lived in the garden, was scared to death. After two days of looting, the British and French allied forces entered the city. On June 65438+1October1day, the British army sent 1200 cavalry and an infantry regiment to rob Yuanmingyuan again. James Bruce, the British plenipotentiary, put the burning of Yuanmingyuan on the agenda and prerequisite on the pretext that the Qing government imprisoned Parkes and others in Yuanmingyuan and killed 2/kloc-0 envoys. 10 year 10 month 18 day, 3500 British troops rushed into Yuanmingyuan and set fire to it. The fire didn't go out for three days, and the Yuanmingyuan and its nearby Qingyi Garden, Jingming Garden, Jingyi Garden, Changchun Garden and Haidian Town were all burned into ruins. Nearly 300 eunuchs, ladies-in-waiting and craftsmen were buried in the fire of Anyou Palace. Become a rare atrocity in the history of world civilization. biographical notes
Located in Haidian District, the western suburb of Beijing, adjacent to the Summer Palace. Built in the 46th year of Kangxi (1709), it consists of Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden and Qichun Garden. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty gave it to his fourth son Yin Zhen (later Yong Zhengdi) and named it Yuanmingyuan. After more than 50 years' operation by the five emperors Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang and Xianfeng/KLOC-0, we have concentrated a lot of material resources, entertained countless skilled craftsmen, poured the blood and sweat of millions of working people, and carefully built a large-scale and beautiful detached palace.
Every summer, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty came here to spend the summer, listen to politics and deal with military and political affairs, so it is also called the Summer Palace.
The Yuanmingyuan, with its large scale, numerous cultural relics and high architectural specifications, reached the peak of ancient garden art in China. Yuanmingyuan, a famous building in western buildings, is mostly built according to western architectural specifications.
scale
Yuanmingyuan Fiona Fang10km is composed of Yuanmingyuan, Wanchun Garden and Changchun Garden (Qichun Garden). Yuanmingyuan is the largest, so it is called Yuanmingyuan (also known as Yuanming Three Gardens). In addition, there are many affiliated gardens in the east, west and south of Yuanmingyuan, including Jingyi Garden in Xiangshan, Jingming Garden in Yuquan Mountain and Qingyi Garden (the later Summer Palace was built on this basis). , with a total area of more than 5000 mu.
Yuanmingyuan not only brought together several famous scenic spots in the south of the Yangtze River, but also creatively transplanted western garden buildings, which was a masterpiece of gardening art at that time. There are magnificent palaces, light and exquisite pavilions in the garden; There are "buying and selling streets" symbolizing lively markets and "mountain villas" symbolizing rural scenery; Hangzhou West Lake has scenic spots modeled after Pinghu Autumn Moon and Leifeng Sunset, Suzhou Lion Forest and Haining An Lan Garden. There are also poems and paintings modeled after ancient poets and painters, such as Penglai Yaotai and Wuling Chunjing. It can be said that Yuanmingyuan is the crystallization of the wisdom and sweat of the working people in our country, and it is also a model of the architectural art and culture of our people. Not only that, Yuanmingyuan also contains countless priceless treasures with different styles, extremely precious historical classics and rich and precious historical relics, such as paintings, gold and silver jewelry, Song and Yuan porcelain and so on. It is one of the treasures of human culture. It can also be said that it was the largest museum and art gallery in the world at that time.
The origin of the name
"Yuanmingyuan" was named by Emperor Kangxi. The three-character plaque of Michelle Ye Imperial Book hangs on the lintel of Yuanmingyuan. Yong Zhengdi has an explanation for the name of this garden. It is said that the word "Yuan Ming" means: "The circle is fascinating, and the gentleman is also in the middle; Bright and shining, the wisdom of talents is also. " It means "round", that is, a person's moral character is perfect, beyond ordinary people; "Ming" means bright, perfect and wise political achievements. This can be said to be the ideal standard for the ruling class to flaunt the wisdom of the monarch in feudal times.
In addition, "Yuanming" is the Buddhist name that Yong Zhengdi has been using since the time of the Prince. Yong Zhengdi believes in Buddhism and has a deep study of Buddhism. He is the author of Quotations of Imperial Selection (19) and Distinguishing between Demons and Different Records. In the pattern of Buddhist sects in the early Qing Dynasty, Yong Zhengdi was a very important figure in the history of Buddhist development. He claimed to be the master of Zen, exerted influence on Buddhism as the "master of the world", and strongly advocated the unity of the three religions and the purity of Zen. When Emperor Kangxi presented the Garden to Yin Zhen (later Yong Zhengdi), the title of the Garden "Yuanmingyuan" was taken from the Buddhist name "Yuanming" of Yongzheng.
Landscape architecture characteristics
Yuanmingyuan combines the characteristics of several famous gardens in the south of the Yangtze River at that time, melts the essence of ancient gardening art in China, and melts poetry and painting into ever-changing scenes with the artistic technique of garden in the garden. In the south of Yuanmingyuan is the imperial court, where the emperor handles official business, the most famous of which is Zheng Da Guangming Hall, where he listens to politics. There are 40 scenic spots in other areas, of which more than 50 scenic spots directly imitate famous gardens in other places, such as An Lan Garden in Haining, Autumn Moon in Pinghu in Hangzhou West Lake, Sunset of Lei Feng, Lion Forest in Suzhou, etc ..... Not only imitate architecture, but also copy names. There is also the Ancestor's Anyou Palace, the high-rise building with high water in the banquet mountain, the Penglai Yaotai simulating the castle of Xianshan, and the Wuling spring scenery in the Peach Blossom Garden. More interestingly, Yuanmingyuan also has a western-style garden scenic spot. The most famous "Dashui Law" is the fountain, flowers and Haiyan Hall in the west, all of which have the style of Italian Renaissance. There is also a model of Venice in the lake, and the emperor can enjoy the "water city scenery" thousands of miles away from the mountain on the shore.
Artistic feature
Yuanmingyuan is not only a treasure house, but also the largest royal museum and art gallery in the world at that time, with many treasures, books and artistic masterpieces. There are famous calligraphy and painting, secret house classics, Zhong Ding treasures, gold and silver jewelry and other precious cultural relics, which condense the essence of ancient culture. Yuanmingyuan is also a garden of exotic flowers and plants, with millions of rare flowers and trees. Westerners who have witnessed the Yuanmingyuan completely call it the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens". Besides, Yuanmingyuan is also the place where the emperor lived the most besides the Forbidden City.