The Old Summer Palace, a Qing Dynasty imperial garden founded in 1709, is known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens" and brings together countless precious works of art and historical relics. However, during the invasion of the British and French forces in 1860, the Old Summer Palace suffered devastating damage, and countless cultural relics were lost overseas.
According to incomplete statistics, the number of cultural relics lost overseas in the Old Summer Palace is huge, and the exact number is difficult to estimate at present. Here's some general information about the lost artifacts of the Old Summer Palace:
1. British Museum: It is estimated that the British Museum has more than 1,000 artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, including porcelain, jade, bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, and more.
2. Louvre Museum, Paris, France: The Louvre has a collection of hundreds of artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, mainly porcelain and jade.
3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA: This museum has dozens of artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, including porcelain, jade, bronzes, etc.
4. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA: This museum has dozens of artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, mainly porcelain and jade.
5. Museums in other European countries, such as Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries, also have collections of Old Summer Palace relics.
6. Private Collections: In addition to the collections of major museums, there are also many Yuanmingyuan cultural relics scattered in the hands of private collectors, and the number and value of these cultural relics are difficult to estimate.
Although it is difficult to estimate the exact number at present, the number of cultural relics lost overseas in the Old Summer Palace is undoubtedly huge. These cultural relics not only have high artistic and historical value, but are also symbols of China's long civilization. Therefore, the recovery and protection of these lost cultural relics is of great significance to China and the world.