What did the British loot from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing?

In October 1860, Anglo-French forces are estimated to have looted 1.5 million priceless treasures from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, after which they then burnt the heavenly complex to the ground. This act has been described as the greatest act of cultural vandalism in modern history - and is likely one of the largest mass-scale thefts too. In this documentary we will explore why and how the Old Summer Palace was sacked, and will inspect some of the items that were looted. To bring the history to life, we will utilise old photographs, drawings and maps, and will inspect up close some of the looted objects.

Sources

Tythacott, Louise (2015) Trophies of War: Representing ‘Summer Palace’ Loot in Military Museums in the UK, Museum & Society, November 2015. 13 (4) 469-488

Information on the Golden Jug Gifted to James Hope Grant:

Information on the auction of the Tiger Ying:

Essex Regiment Museum Website:

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[pt]

A non-Chinese revealing this side of China’s history to the English-speaking. Commendable! Thank you!

[tuskinekinase]

As a Chinese person (who lived very near the Summer Palace park, in fact my high school is right across the street), I must say, this is an extremely well-made video. It is very easy for people to know the ruin site, but the on-the-ground investigation on small, lesser-known British historical sites linked to China is something unique and invaluable. Subscribed!

(Side note, when I visit museums abroad and saw a Chinese relic, I always wonder what its intended purpose was, what happened to it and how it is taken from its home, and somehow feel a sense of sympathy and homesickness with the lifeless relic. In this special case, because the Summer Palace was so close to my high school in Beijing, I felt that the relics and I are fellow townspeople. Such strange and sad feeling...)

[MHDebidour]

"...One day two bandits entered the Summer Palace. One plundered, the other burned. Victory can be a thieving woman, or so it seems. The devastation of the Summer Palace was accomplished by the two victors acting jointly. Mixed up in all this is the name of Elgin, which inevitably calls to mind the Parthenon. What was done to the Parthenon was done to the Summer Palace, more thoroughly and better, so that nothing of it should be left. All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient. It contained not only masterpieces of art, but masses of jewelry. What a great exploit, what a windfall! One of the two victors filled his pockets; when the other saw this he filled his coffers. And back they came to Europe, arm in arm, laughing away. Such is the story of the two bandits..." Victor Hugo

[meng-hsuanlee]

You’re channel is really good! Love the soft tone of storytelling, the nuance, humor, and accurate use of historical images. Keep up the good work!!

[chongminwang]

Not only the palace was looted, in which some of those treasures are still preserved today. The bigger crime was that they burnt down the royal garden named Yuan Ming Yuan.

[kimchiba]

Just imagine if each artefact is priced at 500 k...that would be 750 billions.. Not even counting the scrolls and calligraphies which were burnt .
And finally the palace itself

[enioni]

Thr British Army too burnt down the Kangla Palace in Manipur, India during Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891.Manipuri Kingdom was used as buffer territory between British India and the Burmese Kingdom. And also Manipuri soldiers were useful as scouts and guides during the Anglo-Burmese War..
Seems burning down palaces of the defeated party was a regular norm. This leaves us with very little historical artefacts for posterity.

[abelsoo]

Imagine the outrage by Brits if Buckingham Palace, Edinburgh Castle or Windsor Castle suffer the same fate.

[borisspassky]

The greatest robbery and heist known to mankind. Absolutely irresponsible and beyond belief.

[waftbut]

The British Museum should be charge with Handling Stolen Properties.

[Elfan-ecuk]

Being a Hongkong Chinese, I'm feeling an old wound open up in my heart that's long forgotten ! As a result of the Opium War, Hongkong was ceded to the Brits n was only returned to my Motherland in 1997! Despite the passing of years, sadly the Brits n its Western allies led by US have never let go of my country! Their pirate DNA is still very much alive! We must always be on guard or history will repeat itself easily! Thanks for telling the world about our suffering in the hands of the West!

[celiad]

No wonder we weren’t taught about this ignominious period in our history lessons! I wonder what the British press of the time was saying about the “threat” China represented to us, or perhaps they didn’t bother with attempts to justify their actions in those days.

[hiyukelavie]

The destruction of the Summer Palace wasn't just a loss for the Chinese. It was a loss for the world in general

Imagine if it's still standing today and people are able to go visit it, how magnificent it must be

Truly a crime against humanity

[ILoveDCA]

Concerning the deaths of the British hostages - At a personal level, I regret for the death of the diplomats. However, considering they were embarked on a mission to extract (my view) compensations for the opium wars, unjust wars to force open the gate of China to sell opium, they were accomplices of the evil. Let’s not put the cart before the horse to justify the looting. Everything should be understand in its overall context.
In 2010, David Cameron made a visit to China. He was wearing a red poppy to honor Remembrance Day. It was tasteless because of the connotation the poppy has in China, especially with the British head of state visiting. He was asked to remove it, and refused.

The least Cameron could have done was remove his poppy. The Opium Wars was injustice compounded on injustice. First the British coveted Chinese luxury goods, like tea and porcelain, for their own pleasure. Then in order to pay for these luxury goods, they smuggled in a highly addictive and destructive drug for the twofold effect of shirking their debt and ruining a generation of Chinese people. When the Qing government, like any proper government, tried to stop the poisoning of their own people, the British —ignoring all morals they praised so highly—used gunships to put a stranglehold on China in order to force ruinous “unequal treaties” on her, while doing it all in the name of “free trade.”

[technologynewbie]

Every time I see or read an article or watch any video on this subject, I feel sad and upset about what the British and French did. It is truly unforgivable.

[tomtom-uolf]

this history is well documented word by word in chinese history book, and taught to every chinese young students

[Stardust_Vivi]

As a Chinese watching this; my heart aches knowing how the Summer Palace and Chinese ppl were robbed. Cannot imagine how the Chinese ppl then must have felt seeing their emperor losing these treasures 😢

[mikemooney]

I’m British and have worked in China for 14 years now and I’m enraged by this terrible act of cultural vandalism. And these colonial masters had signs erected in Chinese parks - “No dogs, no Chinese”… the colonial history of Britain which is drenched in blood and invasion and slaughter and racism has never been told in the classroom and this arrogance towards China continues to this very day. These same people who perpetrated these deeds continue to lecture China (and India) on “human rights”… this disgusting history will return to haunt not only Britain but other colonial countries of Europe in this new era when Asian countries are beginning to rise and recover from what was inflicted upon them in the 19th century. The terrible irony is that most of these colonial countries no longer know or remember their evil histories and continue to arrogantly insult and lecture not only China but other Asian countries… I’m full of shame and disgust for my own country and it’s vile history of invasion, racism, subjugation and butchery around the world… shame, shame, shame.

[mostlykeith]

Amazing really that stolen Chinese treasures are on open display in UK museums, and yet the Brits cry moral indignation at Russia’s invasion of The Ukraine...

[papachefhainan]

Shameless thieves and they and their kinds are still at it; just camouflaged in another form.