Where Have You Been?

This image was taken in 1860 by a British photographer at the Old Summer Palace (). Although the colors are somewhat faded, they cannot conceal the palace's former grandeur.

The Yuanmingyuan Haiyan Hall Twelve Zodiac Fountain Water Pool

After the British and French forces occupied Beijing in 1860, they occupied the Old Summer Palace, where the Chinese defenders were outnumbered and the Grand Supervisor of the Old Summer Palace, Wen Fengfu, committed suicide by jumping into the sea. The Constant Receiver, a resident of the palace, died of fright. Under the support of British Prime Minister Lord Elgin, the British army ordered the burning of the Old Summer Palace, and the fire raged for three days and nights, consuming the palace and nearby sites such as the Qingyi Garden, Jingming Garden, Jingyi Garden, Changchun Garden, and Haidian Town. Nearly 300 eunuchs, palace maids, and artisans perished in the fire in the Yun'an Palace, turning this world-renowned garden into a wasteland. The fire burned for three days and three nights, a rare act of barbarism in world history.

The Burning of the Old Summer Palace

I first encountered this historical event in my fifth-grade Chinese class. I only remember hearing a passionate account and resolved to study diligently to reclaim everything lost by our country.

The scene where I was in fifth grade.