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Prince Gong, who remained on the outskirts of Beijing, climbed up to high ground with a number of officials to watch flames light up the sky and the dark cloud of smoke rise from the northwest in great distress and resentment. He received a preliminary report before the end of the day, which confirmed that several thousand foreign infantrymen and cavalrymen had marched into Haidian and set fire to the Yuanming Yuan and to the numerous other gardens in the Three Hills area. In his own report to the emperor in Rehe, the prince admitted that to assess the exact damage and loss was not possible so long as foreign troops blocked the way, though he was obliged to submit any further information as soon as he possibly could. But the prince knew how bad the general condition was, as his liaison Hengqi (Heng-k’i in French sources and Hang-ki in English sources) had already informed him about the avenging fire that had devastated the Yuanming Yuan beyond recognition. At this point, the prince and officials wept with profound shame (YMYA 1991, 1:562–563; Jiang Tingfu 1931, 1972, 1:272–273; cf. Cordier 1906, 361, 364, 373; Knollys 1875, 194). When this terrible news, even without much detail, reached the Xianfeng Emperor, he wrote down this vermillion remark: “I am extremely furious” (YMYA 1991, 1:563) 去书内
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  • 林勇辉 林勇辉

    This passage vividly records Prince Gong’s reaction to the Anglo-French destruction of the Old Summer Palace, alongside the Xianfeng Emperor’s furious response, drawing on Qing official archives and multi-national historical records. Stationed outside Beijing, Prince Gong and his officials watched fire and smoke billow from the northwest in agony, witnessing the burning of Yuanming Yuan and surrounding imperial gardens at Haidian by foreign troops. A preliminary report confirmed thousands of foreign soldiers carried out the arson. In his memorial to the emperor exiled in Rehe, Prince Gong confessed he could not inspect the full destruction due to troop blockades but promised to send updates promptly. His liaison Hengqi had already told him the palace complex was burned beyond repair, leaving the prince and accompanying officials weeping out of deep national humiliation. When the sparse tragic news reached Xianfeng, he scrawled an angry vermilion comment expressing extreme rage. Citing Chinese archival documents, Jiang Tingfu’s research and Western scholars Cordier and Knollys’ contemporary accounts, the text captures the immediate grief, shame and anger of Qing rulers. It highlights how the burning of Yuanming Yuan became an unforgettable national trauma for the late Qing court.

    2026-06-20 喜欢(0) 回复(0)

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