The Ruins of Yuanmingyuan - Caixin Online

The Ruins of Yuanmingyuan - Caixin Online: The events leading up to its ruin are complex – the British and French were invading China and some of their men, taken prisoner, died in captivity; they assumed their soldiers had been tortured to death, but in fact it seems the men were simply accorded the same (atrocious) treatment given Chinese prisoners.In any case, the decision was made to take Yuanmingyuan as punishment and revenge. To ensure neither side profited more than the other, British and French "prize agents" were appointed to oversee an orderly looting process – which greed soon overrode.