The twelve zodiac animal-headed bronze statues in Yuanmingyuan

They are the twelve zodiac animals with animal heads and human bodies, representing the twenty-four hours of the day. Each bronze statue takes turns to spray water, which is a spectacle. . (In layman’s terms, it’s a faucet.) In 1860, the British and French forces burned the Old Summer Palace, and the twelve animal heads were lost overseas. Over the years, countless experts, scholars, patriots and others have made many efforts to return the animal heads to China. So far, rat heads, ox heads, tiger heads, rabbit heads, horse heads, monkey heads, pig heads have returned, dragon heads (it is said to be in Taiwan), snake heads The whereabouts of heads, chicken heads, dog heads, and sheep heads are unknown.

They are the twelve zodiac signs with animal heads and human bodies that represent the twenty-four hours of a day. Each bronze statue sprays water in turn, which is a spectacle

Picture: Tiger Head

The mortise and tenon joints that originally connected the water spray pipe inside the tiger's head are broken, and only part of a tiger's whiskers are left. Currently stored in China Poly Art Museum

Tiger Head

Picture: Monkey Head

The monkey head is flat, and there is a walnut-sized one on the right side of the head The dents are presumably caused by the invaders removing the animal heads or during transportation. Currently stored in the Poly Art Museum of China

Monkey Head

Picture: Ox Head

In 2000, Poly spent huge sums of money to purchase the monkey head from Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses in Hong Kong. Back. Currently stored in the Poly Art Museum of China

Ox Head

Picture: Pig Head

In 2003, the American owner of the Pig Head transferred the bronze statue to China to rescue it from being lost. Special Fund for Overseas Cultural Relics, Stanley Ho bought it back and finally donated it to the China Poly Art Museum

Pig Head

Picture: Rat Head

In April 2013, The French Pinault family expressed their willingness to donate bronze rat heads and rabbit heads from the Old Summer Palace to China. Afterwards, the two parties had active communication and contact regarding the return of the animal head. On June 25, two animal heads from the Old Summer Palace were safely transported to Beijing. Currently stored in the National Museum

Rat Head

Picture: Rabbit Head

Returned by the Pinault family in France and currently stored in the National Museum

Rabbit Head

Picture: Horse Head

In 2007, the famous patriotic entrepreneur Stanley Ho purchased a bronze statue of a horse head for HKD 69.1 million and donated it to the country. Currently stored in the China Poly Art Museum

Horse Head

Picture: Dragon Head

The "bronze dragon head" is one of the 12 zodiac animals in the Great Water Method of Yuanmingyuan. The dragon head is currently in Taiwan and is well preserved, but it will not appear in the short term

Dragon head

Picture: Snake head

After the "Burning of the Old Summer Palace" in 1860 Was plundered and lost overseas

Snake head

Picture: Chicken head

One of the chicken head bronze statues to which the chicken head bronze statue belongs, "burned in 1860" The Old Summer Palace" was later plundered and lost overseas.

Chicken Head

Picture: Dog Head

The bronze statue of the dog head is from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The cultural relics originally belonged to the Old Summer Palace, Western-style Building, and Haiyan Hall. , was plundered and lost overseas after the "Burning of the Old Summer Palace" in 1860.

Dog Head

Picture: Sheep Head

The bronze statue of the sheep head was originally the bronze statue of the Great Water Method in front of the Haiyan Hall in the Western Tower of Yuanmingyuan. After the "Burning of the Old Summer Palace" in 1860, they were plundered and lost overseas.

Sheep Heads

The editor mentioned before that there are still five remaining animal heads, namely dragon head, snake head, chicken head, dog head and sheep head, which are still missing. These should be It is a pity that China's national treasures are wandering overseas. Every Chinese son and daughter hopes that national treasures, including animal heads, can return to China as soon as possible.