Four white marble fragments of a sculpture from Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, were returned to the original site on June 12. The four fragments are the part of the head of a sculpture - Chi, which is a mythical type of Chinese dragon.
The four marble fragments were found by two residents in a construction site on February 28, 2017. After reported to the local authorities, the experts from the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park and the Beijing Stone Art Museum confirmed recently that the fragments are all from Yuanmingyuan. On June 12, the fragments were returned to their original site from Hangdian Qinghe Subdistrict Office.
Yuanmingyuan is the private pleasure resort for Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors, which covers a total area of over 864 acres. To be distinct from other traditional Chinese Gardens, the garden construction and horticulture is a harmonious blend of typical Chinese scenery and western architecture. However, it was burned down by the invading Anglo-French forces in 1860.
The head of administration at the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park, Li Bo said, “more than 40 items had been returned to the park in the recent years, and there will be a special display area to showcase these precious relics”. Yuanmingyuan is making great efforts to improve the protection and display work of the cultural relics continuously these years.