Old Summer Palace

The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness ({{zh-cp|c=圆明园 / 圓明園|p=Yuánmíng Yuán}}), and originally called the Imperial Gardens ({{zh-cp|c=御園|p=Yù Yuán}}), was an extremely large complex of palaces and gardens 8 km (5 miles) northwest of the walls of Beijing, built in the 18th and early 19th century, where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and handled government affairs, the Forbidden City inside Beijing being used only for formal ceremonies. Also known to be one of the largest museums in the world (a popular name in China was the "Garden of Gardens", 萬園之園), the Imperial Gardens were entirely destroyed by British and French troops in 1860. Today, the destruction of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still felt inside China as a vivid symbol of foreign aggression and humiliation.

External link

• China Daily story on coating of the lake beds