Die Plunderung des Yuanming yuan. Imperiale Beutenahme im britisch-franzosischen Chinafeldzug von 1860

摘要

The pillage and destruction by French and British troops in 1860 of the so-called "Old Summer Palace"(Yuanming yuan), the vast and magnificent complex of palaces, temples, pavilions, lakes and gardens built near Beijing in the 18th and early 19th centuries as the primary residence of several Qing emperors, remains a potent symbol of China's "humiliation" at the hands of foreign imperialists. Although largely neglected in Western historical accounts, this act of cultural vandalism nevertheless continues to be a topic of considerable controversy. The meticu-