Four pieces of precious ornament returned to Old Summer Palace

Four pieces of precious white marble ornament were returned to China’s Ruins of Yuanmingyuan, known in English as the Old Summer Palace, on June 12. A returning ceremony was held in Beijing the same day.

The four pieces were discovered at a construction site in Qinghe, Haidian District of Beijing, and kept by the local subdistrict government. The Old Summer Palace later confirmed that these pieces did in fact come from the Palace and requested their return.

The Old Summer Palace was a complex of imperial palaces and gardens during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and is well-known for its exquisite architecture and works of art. It was completely destroyed in 1900 when the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing.