Yuanmingyuan Bronze Head

A gilded bronze elephant head was excavated from the ruins of the Dagongmen River in Yuanmingyuan. This excavation was 160 years after Yuanmingyuan was burned down. The elephant head was found in the mud of the river. When it was first unearthed, it looked like an ordinary mud lump wrapped in thick soil. Some scholars pointed out that this gilded bronze elephant head represented the highest level of gilding in China. Traces of remaining waterways, berths, sluices, and bridge foundations could also be seen in the river ruins discovered. This discovery allowed people to see the tenacity and beauty of Chinese culture. It also caused people to have endless fantasies about the historical story behind it. Whether it was abandoned in the war or accidentally fell into the water, it was unknown. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

The gold-plated bronze elephant head was excavated from the Imperial River at the site of the Great Palace Gate of the Old Summer Palace. It was a masterpiece of the royal ware of the Qing Dynasty. Its craftsmanship was exquisite, far surpassing the craftsmanship of the twelve zodiacs. The elephant's head had a long and curly nose, long teeth, and big ears. The overall shape was exquisite, the lines were smooth and natural, and the expression was serene and realistic. Although it had been eroded by time, it still shone golden under the light. When the archeological team excavated the cultural relics around the Dagongmen River in 2014, they accidentally found this elephant head wrapped in mud like a mud lump in the mud at the bottom of the river. After sending it to the laboratory and spending half a month cleaning it, its true appearance was revealed. Some scholars pointed out that it represented the highest level of gold gilding in China. Elephants were regarded as noble and auspicious symbols in China culture. The Yuanmingyuan archeological team speculated that the gold-plated elephant head might be part of an object (such as a tripod or furnace). It might be that the elephant head accidentally fell into the river when it was transported away. It had been kept in the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park since it was excavated and appeared at an exhibition for the first time in 2017. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

There was a bronze crane that originally belonged to Yuanmingyuan. It was a bronze object of the Qing Dynasty and symbolized longevity. It guarded the left side of the mausoleum and the right side was a bronze deer (Lu). When shooting from the fountain on the south side of Dashuifa to the north, the decorations on the gate of Yuanying Temple in the far north could be seen, but the throne and copper crane in front of the screen were missing. In addition, the Western buildings in the Yuanmingyuan Park had unique historical significance and architectural style. These buildings, like the bronze cranes, were part of the Yuanmingyuan culture. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

According to a rough calculation, there were about 1.5 million cultural relics looted in Yuanmingyuan. Among them were bronze ritual vessels from the pre-Qin period of China, as well as famous paintings, calligraphy, and various rare treasures from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. However, the reference materials did not mention the specific situation of the bronze ritual vessels in the Pre-Qin period, so they could not provide more information. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

The beast heads in Yuanmingyuan were precious mainly for the following reasons: 1. ** Craftsmanship Value **: They were cast in the heyday of Qianlong, when the Qing Dynasty was strong and the craftsmanship level was at its peak. The copper used was specially made for the palace, and it contained many precious metals. 2. ** Cultural Value **: It is the product of the collision of Chinese and Western cultures. It was designed by Lang Shining, supervised by French Jiang Youren, and made by palace craftsmen. They combined China folk culture and Western architectural art features. They were part of the water clock that integrated Chinese and Western cultures at that time, reflecting the results of cultural exchanges at that time. 3. [Historical Value: Witnessed the prosperous times of the Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties.] The beast head was originally a part of the fountain outside the Haiyan Hall of Yuanmingyuan. Under the establishment and management of the Qing Dynasty for more than 150 years, Yuanmingyuan had a grand regional scale, outstanding construction skills, exquisite architectural scenery, rich cultural collections, and extensive and profound national cultural content. It was once famous in the world, and the beast head witnessed the glory of Yuanmingyuan. 4. ** Symbolism **: In 1860, the Anglo-French coalition forces invaded Beijing, looted the Yuanmingyuan Palace and burned it to the ground. The beast heads were also lost overseas. After experiencing the disaster of the Yuanmingyuan Palace and being lost overseas, they became the symbol and representative of the humiliating history. The value of their return to the motherland could not be measured by money. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

The gold-plated bronze elephant head had been kept in the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park since it was excavated. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

Yuanmingyuan was an imperial garden in the western suburbs of Beijing City during the Qing Dynasty. There were many exquisite buildings, sculptures, fountains, and landscapes in Yuanmingyuan, known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens". However, Yuanmingyuan was looted and burned by the Anglo-French coalition forces at the end of the Qing Dynasty, causing huge losses and cultural heritage losses. The destruction of the Old Summer Palace was an important event in modern Chinese history, and it was also one of the protests of the Chinese people against the invasion and plunder of the Western powers.

The gold-plated bronze elephant head had been kept in the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park after it was excavated. It first appeared in an exhibition in 2017. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!

Yuanmingyuan was an imperial garden in the western suburbs of Beijing City during the Qing Dynasty. Yuanmingyuan had hundreds of buildings, including palaces, halls, pavilions, pavilions, gardens and other beautiful scenery, known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens". The destruction of Yuanmingyuan took place during the invasion of China by the Anglo-French coalition forces in 1860. The Anglo-French coalition forces captured Beijing during the war with the Qing Dynasty and looted the Old Summer Palace. The precious cultural relics, works of art, and buildings in Yuanmingyuan were destroyed. Even a large amount of land and plants were cut down and destroyed. The destruction of Yuanmingyuan had caused a great loss and had a profound impact on Chinese culture and art. The destruction of Yuanmingyuan was a major event in Chinese history, and it was also a loss of Chinese culture and art. It symbolized the decline of China's feudal society and also symbolized that China's culture and art had entered a new era.