As you visit the interesting and beautiful old cultural sites of Beijing, read the exhibit explanations and the building signs carefully, and you will see that they refer to some very difficult times in Beijing's past.
In 1860 and 1900, foreign armies burned and looted(洗劫) the Summer Palace and many of the buildings at Fragrant Hills(香山). Because the Summer Palace and other places were almost completely rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi(慈禧太后), many foreigners do not know about this destructive history.
The Yuan Ming Yuan also used to be one of the most unique. Many of its buildings were of the western style. From Qing emperor Qianlong, the construction(建造) work on the Yuan Ming Yuan lasted from 1737 to 1766. The vast palace included fountains, lakes, gardens, labyrinths(迷宫) and statuary(雕塑). All these were destroyed in 1860. Today people can only see the ruins(废墟). the treasures there were taken abroad or to other places in China.
In recent years, some warm-hearted foreigners and wealthy Chinese have been trying to return some of these lost treasures to the Chinese people. For instance, in 1993 Maurice Greenberg, CEO of American International Assurance Co.(美国友邦保险有限公司), bought 10 of the 20 bronze window frames that had been stolen. He paid a French collector $515,000 for them and returned them to China. Wealthy Chinese have also begun buying up(全数买进) stolen treasures and donating(捐赠) them to Chinese museums.
On the evening of June 8, a ceremony was held at the ruins in the Yuan Ming Yuan. It aimed to announce a public campaign(行动) to encourage the return of two large stone fish and some beautiful stone pedestals(基座) were announced and displayed on stage.
This is a campaign that should be supported by all Chinese, and should also be supported by China's foreign friends.
We wish it great success! |
