From East to West: The Enchanting Blend of Architectural Styles in Yuanmingyuan
Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Old Summer Palace, was 20 kilometers northwest of The Forbidden City, the ancient walled city in Beijing. It was an enormous multi-functional complex for the emperor to work and live in. Even more, it was the alternative political center of the Qing Dynasty. Construction began in 1709 and continued for […]
Tiananmen Mission: Living Through the Massacre
On June 5, 1989, a young man stood before a column of tanks blocking their path on Chang’an Boulevard in Beijing. His message was clear: The People’s Liberation Army needed to leave the city, and he was willing to give his life to ensure they heard it. In the buildings above, people watched from balconies […]
The Ruins of Paradise on Earth
Over the course of two days in October 1860, around 5,000 British and French soldiers took part in what has been described as the greatest act of cultural vandalism in modern Chinese history — the pillaging and destroying of The Old Summer Palace near Beijing. More accurately, the site was known for its garden, or […]