Yuanmingyuan and the effects of the Second Opium War

Abstract

The Second Opium War (1856-1860), fought between the Anglo-French imperialists and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) resulted in the ransacking and destruction of the imperial garden Yuanmingyuan 圆明园, a complex of elegant Chinese and European-style architecture. Nowadays the imperial garden stands as a witness of the dire consequences suffered at the hands of Western imperialists. This dissertation aims to provide a broad study on Yuanmingyuan and sets out to investigate the impact of the Second Opium War which still haunts China up to the present days. An enlightening account of the evolution, arts and architecture of Yuanmingyuan is addressed, with a special reference to the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione; a talented painter and contributor to designs of European architecture in the imperial garden. Aside from the destruction of the imperial garden left in ruins and memory, this study focuses on the massive looting of artworks，mainly the twelve Chinese zodiac bronze statues, that are up to this day an ongoing dispute between China and the West. Thus, this study elucidates Yuanmingyuan as collective memory to further examine how the looting of cultural heritage during the Second Opium War remains, in Chinese eyes, a national disgrace and humiliating reminder of colonial suppression. Research is conducted using theoretical analysis methodology by reviewing existing literature from both Western and Chinese scholars in order to get hold of different perspectives and interpretations.