|
September 25, 2008, The Summer Palace was first started by the Yuan Dynasty almost a thousand years ago.
The Summer Palace, the Yuanmingyuan, was once a sprawling complex of pavilions scattered over thousands of wooded acres in the hills northwest of the capital.... The first of these summer palaces was built in the twelfth century: other ornate pavilions, gardens, and fishponds were added during the Yuan (1277-1367) and Ming (1368-1643) dynasties, hidden in groves among the hills, connected by meandering footpaths. The entire area is surrounded by walls.
The Summer Palace was destroyed, and what didn't burn was blown up by the Anglo French military force that invaded China during the 19th century forcing China to open more ports to opium merchants and others. Along with opium, the treaties required China to allow Christian missionaries into China too. I'm going to quote something from C. M. Cipolla's book, Guns, Sails and Empires. "While Buddha came to China on white elephants, Christ was born on cannon balls."
__________________________
Link to Summer Palace photo page:
http://www.mysplendidconcubine.com/SummerPalace.htm
This page may also be reached through the 'My Splendid Concubine' Website from the main menu (2008 China Trip).
Correction: We visited the Summer Palace September 25, 2008, not the 24th as the photo page shows.
|
