Beijing Photo Gallery - Yuan Ming Yuan Part 3

Yuan Ming Yuan, or the Old Summer Palace, was dubbed the "Versailles of the East". Spread across 350 hectares of landscaped gardens, it was a set of 5 residences for the Qing rulers, with construction starting in the early 18th century. Each residence has its own building, artificial lakes, and water systems, meant to become a miniature model of the lands under the emperor's rule. There were also European-style buildings as well with stone facades built over Chinese wood frames that were designed by Jesuit missionaries.

Today, it lies in ruins, ransacked, looted, then burned to the ground by Anglo-French forces during the Second Opium War in retribution for several negotiators being killed while persuading for a Chinese surrender. Many stolen artworks have made their way to collections in Europe, and occasionally at auction houses.

Over the decades, there have been numerous debates on whether the palace should be rebuilt to its prior splendor. For now, it is kept in this state to remind the country of its humilitation under foreign aggressors during the 19th century.

Built in 1751, Xieqiqu includes a fountain in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower with 4 copper fish to spray water out.

Satisfied, I exited the ticketed area and onto a long straight avenue back to where I started.