In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), after the British and French allied forces captured Beijing, they occupied Yuanmingyuan. 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. With the support of British Prime Minister Pa Max Don, British leader Elgin ordered the burning of Yuanmingyuan. 3,500 British and French troops rushed into Yuanmingyuan and set fire to it. The fire didn't go out for three days. Yuanmingyuan and its nearby Qingyi Garden, Jingming Garden, Jingyi Garden, Changchun Garden and Haidian Town were all burned into ruins. In Anyou Palace, nearly 300 eunuchs, maids-in-waiting, and craftsmen were buried in the sea of fire. Turn this world-famous garden into ruins. [1] The fire burned for three days and nights and became a rare atrocity in the history of world civilization.
According to rough statistics, the number of cultural relics robbed in Yuanmingyuan is about 6.5438+0.5 million, ranging from bronze ritual vessels in the pre-Qin period in China to famous paintings and calligraphy in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and all kinds of rare treasures. Only the architectural site is left, and the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park has been established.
Chinese name
Burning Yuanmingyuan
Foreign name
English: the destruction of Yuanmingyuan; French: Paris Opera House
occurrence time
1860 65438+1October18 rpm1860 65438+1October 2 1.
event
Beijing, China
arsonist
British and French troops
quick
navigate by water/air
The evaluation of the robbery in Yuanmingyuan is a follow-up to the process results.
background
work progress
Yuanmingyuan is located in Haidian District, the western suburb of Beijing, adjacent to the Summer Palace. Built in the forty-eighth 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.
***32 sheets
Beijing Yuanmingyuan real shot
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.
the opium war
After the First Opium War, the western capitalist powers forced the Qing government to sign the first batch of unequal treaties, and seized many privileges from China, such as reparations, agreed tariffs, opening five-port trade, consular jurisdiction, and one-sided MFN treatment. The British bourgeoisie thought that it could dump a lot of goods to China through these unequal treaties.
In order to further open the door to China, Britain, France, the United States and other western countries tried to oppress the Qing government and give it new rights and interests of aggression in the name of amending the treaty. 1854, Britain first asked China to amend the relevant provisions of the treaty of nanking, followed by the United States and France, which were all rejected by the Qing government. When the "treaty revision" negotiations initiated by colonialists such as Britain, America and France failed, they became angry from embarrassment and decided to launch a new war of aggression against China to realize their unreasonable demands. 1856, again, still rejected.
Location map of Yuanmingyuan
From 65438 to 0856, Britain and France launched the second opium war against China under the pretext of "Yarrow Incident" and "Father Ma Incident". 1856 10 in June, the British army shelled Guangzhou and officially went to war. The following year (1857), the British and French allied forces captured Guangzhou. After the British and French allied forces occupied Guangzhou, journey to the south. 1858, the British and French allied forces fought at the gates of Tianjin and threatened to attack Beijing. The Qing government soon sent someone to make peace. 1859, the British and French ministers each led a fleet to Beijing to exchange contracts. The Qing government appointed British and French representatives to land in Beijing from Beitang, Tianjin, but the British and French ministers led the fleet into Dagukou by force. The Qing army stationed in Dagukou fired a gun to stop it, and the British and French Coalition forces fled Dagukou in confusion.
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. In August of the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), Britain and France invaded Beijing on the pretext of blocking trade and rescuing hostages. 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.
process
engage
1860, 10 On June 6, the British and French allied forces bypassed the northeast suburb of Beijing and went straight to Yuanmingyuan. At that time, Sang Linqin and his remnants resisted in the north of the city for a while and then fled. The French army went first, passed Haidian in the afternoon and arrived at the gate of Yuanmingyuan Grand Palace in the evening. At this time, more than 20 skilled eunuchs in Yuanmingyuan were fighting with the enemy at the entrance to Jindemen. "Don't be afraid of being killed, and strive to advance", but in the end, Ren Liang, the "eight-product head" of Yuanmingyuan, and others died because they were outnumbered. At 7 pm, the French invaders captured the Yuanmingyuan. Wenfeng, Minister of Landscape Management, died in Fuhai.
The invasion of Beijing, Tianjin and Yuanmingyuan by British and French allied forces
65438 10/7, the leader of British and French aggression against China broke into Yuanmingyuan, and immediately "sent three members of the British and French Committee to discuss the distribution of treasures in the garden." On the same day, French Army Commander Montaubon wrote to the French Foreign Minister: "I ordered French members to pay attention to the most valuable objects in art and archaeology first. This trip will be dedicated by you to His Majesty the Emperor (Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte), which is extremely rare in France and will be hidden in the French Museum. " British commander Grant immediately "sent officers to collect things that should belong to the British." The day after the British and French invaders entered the park, they could no longer resist the temptation of things. The officers and men rushed forward in droves to snatch the treasures of gold and silver and cultural and artistic treasures in the park.
rob
Then, the destruction began. Within 48 hours, Yuanmingyuan became the target of "organized robbery". Soldiers smashed vases and mirrors, tore up pictures and scrolls, broke down warehouses to snatch silk, and wrapped horses with these precious fabrics; They were wrapped in the queen's phoenix robe, and their pockets were full of rubies, sapphires, pearls and crystals. Luxi recorded: "In two days, I got 30 million francs worth of silk, jewelry, porcelain, bronzes and sculptures", which was a stunning and psychedelic carnival, "just like the illusion of marijuana smokers".
According to the descriptions of British and French officers, priests and journalists who witnessed the looting scene, in order to seize the treasure, British and French officers and soldiers rushed into Yuanmingyuan from all directions, indulging in wantonness and taking whatever they wanted. They beat each other and even fought for the treasure.
Because there are so many treasures in the garden, they don't know what to take at the moment. Some moved cloisonne porcelain bottles, some coveted embroidered robes, some chose high-grade leather clothes, and some got wall clocks inlaid with pearls and jade. Some carry big bags, which are full of all kinds of treasures. Some people put gold bars and leaves in the big pockets of their coats; Some are wrapped in brocade; Some hats are filled with rubies, sapphires, pearls and crystals; Some people wear jade collars around their necks. There is a mountain of high-grade silks and satins in one wing, which is said to be enough for half of Beijing residents, and all of them are carried away by soldiers in carts.
Elgin
A British officer snatched a golden Buddha from a temple with 500 Buddha statues, worth 1200. A French officer robbed property worth 600,000 francs. The treasure plundered by the son of Montaubon, commander-in-chief of the French army, was worth 300 thousand francs and filled several carriages. A British private named Hollis once stole two golden Buddha pagodas (all three stories, one 7 feet high and the other 6.4 feet high) and a lot of other treasures from the garden, and found seven strong men to carry them back to the barracks for him. This man got the nickname "China Zhan Mu" because he plundered and enjoyed his life in Yuanmingyuan.
In addition to robbery, the invaders destroyed countless things. Several rooms were full of silks and satins, and clothes were dragged out of the box and thrown all over the floor. When people walk into the house, clothes can almost cover their knees. The engineer with a big axe smashed all the furniture and took the jewels from it. Some people break big mirrors, others shoot candlesticks for fun. Most French soldiers waved sticks and smashed everything they couldn't take with them. 654381October 9 When the French army temporarily evacuated Yuanmingyuan, this beautiful garden was destroyed.
Destroy with fire
Finally, in June 65438 +654381October +08, James Bruce, the commander-in-chief of the British army and the eighth Earl of Elgin (son of the infamous ancient Greek stone carving collector and the seventh Earl of Elgin), ordered the Yuanmingyuan to be burned. In the next two days, soldiers were assigned to set fires in palaces, pagodas and other buildings. Particularly serious losses were royal books and archives. About10,500 books and archives, including the most rare and exquisite works about China's history, science and technology, philosophy and art, were burned in the Erjin fire.
After the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan, Emperor Xianfeng gave the imperial approval.
Because many pavilions are made of flammable pine, the sky in the northern suburbs of Beijing is filled with smoke wrapped in rosin for several days. "No more eyes can witness the artistic talent and taste of another era," wrote Robert McGonagall, a British priest, without a trace of guilt. "No one left, no house left. Let there be no traces of the palace here. Now, let's go back to Beijing and we're done. "
Why did the British and French allied forces burn Yuanmingyuan instead of the Forbidden City?
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The culprit of burning Yuanmingyuan was high flyers from Oxford, England, who died in the fire three years later.
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result
Afterwards, according to the official investigation of the Qing Dynasty, there were only 20 or 30 temples, pavilions, temples, official doors, value rooms and other buildings in the huge Yuanming Three Gardens, but many doors and windows were uneven, and the indoor furnishings and several cases were looted. At the same time, some buildings of Qingyi Garden in Wanshou Mountain, Jingyi Garden in Xiangshan Mountain and Jingming Garden in Yuquan Mountain were also burned.
According to relevant records, when the British invaders burned Anyou Palace on June 6th, 10, the eunuch in charge of Anyou Palace locked the gate, and 300 people including eunuchs, maids and craftsmen in Anyou Palace were burned alive.
When Yuanmingyuan fell into a sea of fire, Erjin proudly declared: "This move will shake China and Europe, and its effect far exceeds the imagination of people thousands of miles away." . The main emissary of the fire regarded this behavior as a great achievement, and upright people all over the world were angered by this barbaric crime.
When Yuanmingyuan was still burning, Prince Gong, who was ordered to stay in Beijing, wholeheartedly agreed to all the conditions of the invaders. Soon, the Tianjin Treaty text was exchanged with Britain, France and Russia, and the Beijing Treaty was signed. In this way, the imperialist powers occupied China's Kowloon Peninsula and a large area of northern territory, and extorted huge military compensation of162,000 silver.
follow-up action
Restoration of Qing dynasty
After the destruction of Yuanmingyuan, it is still a royal forbidden garden. During the Tongzhi period, he was ordered by Empress Dowager Cixi to try to rebuild it. At that time, it was planned to restore more than 20 temples, mainly in Qian Chao District, Houhu District, West District and North District of Yuanmingyuan, as well as Gongmen District of Wanchun Garden and Xiaqing Hall at the entrance of Fuchun Hall.
Restored labyrinth of flower arrays
However, less than 10 months after the project started, it was forced to stop work for maintenance due to the exhaustion of funds. Since then, Empress Dowager Cixi has repaired the Summer Palace, but she has not completely abandoned the restoration of Yuanmingyuan. Until Guangxu 22-24, she also restored Shuanghezhai and Jinongxuan in Yuanmingyuan. 1900 (in the 26th year of Guangxu), Eight-Nation Alliance went to Beijing, and Empress Dowager Cixi took Emperor Guangxu and fled to xi 'an. The order of the two capitals was in chaos. Eight Banners soldiers, bandits and local ruffians took advantage of the fire and robbed nearly 100 buildings in the park, which were basically repaired one after another, completely destroying the buildings and ancient and famous trees in the Yuanmingyuan.
cheat
Later, the cultural relics of Yuanmingyuan were plundered by bureaucrats, warlords and profiteers for a long time, and even destroyed by government authorities in a planned way. The dignitaries of Beiyang government, including some people responsible for the protection of Yuanmingyuan site, relied on their power to transport a large number of stone carvings and Taihu stones from the park to repair their gardens. Such as Wang Huaiqing, Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison in Gyeonggi, Cao Kun, the Governor's Ambassador (who was later bribed to be elected President of the Republic of China), Nie Xianfan, Commander of the Bujun Army, Che Qingyun, Commander of the Gendarmerie in the capital, and Wang Lanheng, Secretary-General of the Government, all have such misdeeds. Only Jing (equivalent to the later mayor of Beiping) Liu Menggeng forcibly removed 623 cars of Taihu Stone from Changchun Garden within 25 days of 1922.
At that time, the 13th Division of the Army, the 16th Division of the National Army, the 11th Division, the 53rd Army of the Northeast Army and the 29th Army of the Song Dynasty were stationed in Xiyuan area successively. They have forcibly demolished the walls of Yuanmingyuan, sold bricks and stones privately, or used them to build a playground in Xiyuan. The Summer Palace, Zhongshan Park, yenching university, Beiping Library and other places also carried away a large number of stone chips.
Fall into ruins
In the early 1930s, when the high beam bridge was rebuilt along the gravel road from Haidian to Yuquan Mountain, with the approval of the Beiping Special Government, the tiger-skin stone fences in the south (4,800 meters) and east of Yuanmingyuan were all demolished and smashed into rubble to pave the way. Prior to this, it also publicly sold bricks, tiger skin stones, mica flakes, and even the remaining marble columns of the West Building for many times, which turned the Yuanmingyuan into ruins.
Why did Zeng Guofan and Zuo react differently after Britain and France burned Yuanmingyuan? Who is patriotic is clear at a glance.
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How did Zeng Guofan and Zuo react when the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan?
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Yuanmingyuan in the sea of fire
Robbery in Yuanmingyuan
Allied robbery
When the British and French allied forces looted Yuanmingyuan crazily, countless bandits took part in the robbery.
Robbers rob.
The British and French allied forces chose the most valuable things to rob, bandits plundered the remaining essence, Wang picked up the scraps abandoned by the Committee, and even the eunuchs guarding the garden took advantage of the fire to rob.
Soil thief
Easily available valuables were quickly collected, and some people pinned their hopes on exquisite treasures scattered and buried in the dust. They picked up brooms and dustpans and flew sand and dust on the middle road of the garden. Eunuchs and soldiers guarding the garden call them "soil-sifting thieves", and sometimes there is a saying: "soil-sifting, soil-sifting, never suffering." Fortunately, the building was not injured at this time.
Wooden robbery
Yuanmingyuan has become a charcoal factory.
1900 (26th year of Guangxu reign), Eight-Nation Alliance occupied Beijing, and the gardens in the western suburbs were looted again. This time, the Qing government completely lost control of Yuanmingyuan, and the people who took advantage of the fire were no longer satisfied with robbing foreigners of their surplus wealth. They sawed off the scattered buildings, columns and wooden bridges in the garden after the fire robbery, and pulled them down with big ropes. The trees and trees in the garden were also cut down. At that time, the timber in Qinghe town was piled up like a mountain, and the trade was busy. There were many charcoal factories in the park, and all the branches and roots were burned into charcoal.
Stone robbery
Selling stones can also make a fortune.
In the early years of the Republic of China, warlords who changed like lanterns regarded Yuanmingyuan as an inexhaustible building material field. There are many helpless records in the archives of Puyi period: "Soldiers ride bicycles to haul Taihu Stone 10 vehicles in the park every day." In fact, the situation of dismantling and selling is far more serious than that recorded in the file. Xu Shichang demolished the timber of Ming and Jing Spring Gardens in Yuanmingyuan, and Wang Huaiqing demolished the wall of Anyou Palace and the stone of the west building in the garden.
Since then, everything that can be used as building materials in Yuanmingyuan ruins, from square bricks, roof tiles, wall bricks and stone strips on the ground to underground wooden nails, stakes and copper pipes, has been collected and pulled intermittently for more than 20 years! Later generations called this a "stone robbery" after the fire in Yuanmingyuan.
Soil robbery
Tsukiya
At this point, Yuanmingyuan has been looted by fire, wood and stone, and all the buildings, trees and bricks have disappeared, and it has to go through the final and more thorough "soil robbery". At the end of Xuan Tong, local banners built houses on the ruins of the palace in the park, facing the former royal garden.
TianKai
During the Japanese occupation period after 1940, Beijing was short of food, so it was rewarded for land reclamation. Since then, farmers have successively entered the park to fill the lake in Pingshan and open up wasteland to grow rice. Yuanmingyuan, a painstaking effort in the early Qing Dynasty 150 years of victory over lakes and mountains, is beyond recognition.
evaluate
The burning of Yuanmingyuan is undoubtedly the most barbaric and worst cultural destruction in history. Perhaps the burning of Alexander the Great's library and the trampling of Rome by Gothic tribes can be compared with it. The French pointed out at the time that it was like the Louvre and the French National Library being destroyed at the same time. Moreover, this atrocity is the representative behavior of the so-called "civilized" non-European world in the two countries. The burning of Yuanmingyuan fully illustrates the hypocrisy of this action and its racist basis. In the civilized countries of Europe, such cultural destruction is unimaginable even in wartime, but China is obviously not within this moral principle. This lesson is still fresh in China people's memory. [2]
Hugo [3], a great French writer, commented on Yuanmingyuan in 186 1: "Just imagine that it is a fascinating building like the castle of the Moon Palace, and the Summer Palace is such a building." People often say: Greece has the Parthenon, Egypt has the pyramids, Rome has the Colosseum, and the East has the Summer Palace. This is an amazing and unparalleled masterpiece.