The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan took place from October 18, 1860 to October 21, 1860.

In the Second Opium War, the British and French allied armies invaded China and embarked on a series of brigandish acts with impunity on Chinese soil. on October 6, 1860, the British and French allied armies entered the city of Beijing and broke into the Yuanmingyuan (圆明园). The Yuanmingyuan is a royal garden with a history of more than 100 years, where there is not only this exquisite and magnificent architecture, but also a variety of treasures and relics.

Historical Lessons from the Burning of the Yuanmingyuan

"Backwardness is to be beaten" has become a standard answer in China as the historical lesson of the "century of humiliation". That is, because of industrial and military technology backwardness, China suffered two Opium Wars, the Sino-Japanese War, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China and a series of defeats. After World War I, as a "victorious nation", China failed to restore the rights and interests of Shandong, resulting in the disappointment of international "justice", reinforcing the lesson that "might makes right".