Beijing and vicinity > Ruins at Yuanmingyuan Park, near Beijing, China by T. E. Smith-Lamothe

The ruins at Yuanmingyuan Park are the result of European actions during the Second Opium War (1860) when the "Garden of Perfect Brightness" (also known as the old Summer Palace) was ransacked and burned in search of treasures believed to be stored there. The grounds and buildings before the plundering were said to resemble Versailles, France, for grandeur and, ironically, their European-styled architecture. This hand-held panorama shows the ruins of a large fountain. Many stones were carted away by locals for building materials after the European attack, so no attempt has been made to reconstruct any of the buildings. The mute stones scattered around the landscape tell a story of the Qing rulers' extravagance, the greed and recklessness of the plunderers, and the somber peacefulness of the present public park.