Rocky return of looted relics from Old Summer Palace

164 years ago, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing was destroyed by fire at the hands of invading British and French forces. The destruction was so complete that only a few remnants of the palace buildings and garden walls remained standing and over 1.5 million cultural treasures housed there were plundered. And now, after years of efforts by the Chinese government, Chinese patriotic personages and overseas institutes and cultural figures, one-tenth of the looted relics have found their way home.

Seven pillars

Seven white marble pillars returned to the Old Summer Palace from a museum in Norway last June made their public debut in October. The pillars, which range in height from 80 to 92 centimeters, are an ingenious blend of Chinese and Western cultures.

The front decorations of these pillars are mainly carvings in Western-style patterns such as freesia and shells. On the side of the pillars, there are carved vases holding bouquets of traditional Chinese flowers such as peonies, magnolias, lotuses and chrysanthemums with auspicious meanings. Some of the carvings include a swirling cloud motif on the plinth reflecting the ancient Chinese approach to architecture.

12 bronze zodiac heads

Twelve animal head sculptures once formed a zodiac water clock in the imperial garden, representing a fusion of oriental zodiac culture and Western-style architecture.  

The horse head, designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Castiglione and crafted by royal artisans, was the latest sculpture to be returned to its original home. It was bought by Macao billionaire Stanley Ho in 2007 at an auction and has remained on display in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions for many years. In 2019, Ho decided to donate it to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Up to date, there are still four of them remaining unaccounted for.

Bronze water vessel with tiger-shaped lid

The hu ying, or bronze water vessel with a tiger-shaped lid, is a rare treasure that has a practical use dating back to at least 2,500 years ago. It was taken by British captain Harry Lewis Evans in 1860 during the Second Opium War and then kept by his family.

The vessel went on sale at the Canterbury Auction Galleries in England in April 2018 and was donated to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration by an anonymous buyer. It returned home in November of the same year.