The Old Summer Palace
cctv.com 11-28-2005 14:31
There are actually two summer palaces around Beijing, one built after the other. The oldest one dates from the 18th century, when Emperor Qianlong created the Garden of Perfect Purity. 鍦嗘槑鍥. In English, we just call this the Old Summer Palace. Besides a spectacular landscape garden, it also housed buildings in various European styles. This was built at the height of the Qing Dynasty, and the Emperor specifically wanted to include samples of architectural styles from around the world. Later, during the Opium Wars in 1860 this palace was stormed by western troops, who destroyed the palaces and removed the treasures. The ruins of the central water fountain, originally one of the most spectacular sites, have become an important symbol of foreign aggression in China. Many people believe these ruins should be kept as they are, as a potent reminder of China鈥檚 history.
Empress Dowager Cixi set about establishing a new Summer Palace in 1888 to replace the old one. This palace is called 棰愬拰鍥 in Chinese, and is located only a kilometre or two from the old Summer Palace.
Editor:Wang Source:CCTV.com
