Ruins of Yuanmingyuan
 Now in ruins, the Old Summer Palace(Yuanmingyuan)was once hailed as the garden of all gardens. The site originally of featrued elaborate gardens, statues and fountains, which were created by the best artisans from all over the country Yuanmingyuan was built over a period of 150 years starting in 1709.
The spacious park consists of three main sections;Yuanmingyuan(Garden of Perfection and Brightness),Wanchunyuan(Garden of 10,000 Springs) and Changchunyuan(Garden of Eternal Spring), centered around the lake, Fuhai(Lake of Happiness). Changchunyuan is the site of the best preserved ruins, that of the Great Fountain in the European Garden. The original Yuanmingyuan was composed of 145 buildings and 40 scenic sposts. It was also home to some of the most valuable treasures in China. In 1860, the British and French armies stormed the garden, burned down most of the buildings and took all of the treasures. Then, in 1900, the Eight Allied Powers came again and destroyed the rest of the buildings. All that remains today are some of the marble archways and fountains. Despite the fact that the treasures and the buildings are gone, Yuanmingyuan is still a great park to visit. It is a good walk, and the peaceful ruins offer a welcome respite from the crazy buzz of the city. You should definitely make time for a visit here. |
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