The China Yuanmingyuan Society was established in 1984 as a social organization dedicated to researching, protecting, and developing the culture of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan). It is an academic, national, non-profit social organization voluntarily formed by experts and scholars from architecture, landscape architecture, history, cultural relics, archaeology, literature, art, and related academic fields. It serves as an important social force in promoting patriotic education and national spirit.
Background and Nature
On October 16, 1980, 1,583 people from various sectors, including national leaders such as Soong Ching-ling, Xi Zhongxun, Shen Yanbing, Xu Deheng, Zhang Aiping, Shi Liang, and Rong Yiren, signed the "Proposal for Protecting, Restoring, and Utilizing the Old Summer Palace Ruins": "To effectively preserve this historical and cultural site, better serve patriotic education, and incorporate the restoration of the Old Summer Palace into the capital's socialist modernization construction plan according to the 'Four Suggestions' of the Central Secretariat, making it one of the capital's historical, cultural, and academic activity centers." The "Preparatory Committee of the China Yuanmingyuan Society" was established. After four years of preparation, the Society was officially established in Beijing on December 1, 1984. In 2004, the Society was re-registered with approval from the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Civil Affairs, further standardizing its development.
Purpose and Core Activities
To promote patriotic education and national spirit, serve the planning, protection, restoration, and utilization of the Old Summer Palace ruins, and promote its development as a patriotic education base, royal garden research and exhibition base, world cultural heritage site, and special memorial site of human civilization.
Academic Research: Organizes interdisciplinary experts to conduct academic discussions on the history, architecture, and gardens of the Old Summer Palace, publishing research results including the "Yuanmingyuan" academic journal.
Heritage Protection and World Heritage Application: In 2013, clearly identified "promoting the Old Summer Palace ruins' application for World Heritage status" as a key focus, integrating resources to advance heritage protection planning.
Public Education and Cultural Dissemination: Popularizes Old Summer Palace culture through lectures, exhibitions, and book publications; systematically organizes the history of the Old Summer Palace and participates in public advocacy for the return of lost cultural relics.
International Cooperation and Cultural Relic Recovery: Focuses on research and recovery of lost cultural relics from the Old Summer Palace, such as the return of the Horse Head bronze statue, where Society experts participated in authentication and publicity work, emphasizing its historical and technological value.
Development History
1980: Initiated the establishment of the China Yuanmingyuan Society, with 1,583 people including Soong Ching-ling, Shen Yanbing, and experts from architecture, landscape architecture, and cultural relics signing the "Proposal for Protecting, Restoring, and Utilizing the Old Summer Palace Ruins."
1983: Conducted academic exchange activities in Beijing with three scholars sent by the French Ministry of Foreign Relations, commissioned by the municipal government.
1984: President Wei Chuantong led the restoration project of the Fuhai scenic area, the first large-scale restoration of the Old Summer Palace ruins.
1986: Formed the "Beijing Old Summer Palace Ruins Park Construction Committee," with Society leaders as members.
1990: Over 300 people, including Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Liu Lantao, attended the 130th anniversary commemoration of the Old Summer Palace's destruction held by the Society in the Great Hall of the People.
2000: The "Old Summer Palace Ruins Park Plan" was approved by the Beijing Municipal Government and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
2004: Adopted new Society regulations and elected new council members, with Zhang Wenbin as president, and Xie Ninggao, Guo Daiheng, Shao Huayu, Pan Zuyao, and Xie Yinsheng as vice presidents.
2005: Society experts participated in the "Old Summer Palace Anti-seepage Project Hearing" held by the State Environmental Protection Administration in Beijing. The Society co-hosted the "1860: The Great Disaster of the Old Summer Palace" Chinese edition symposium with the European Times and Zhejiang Ancient Books Publishing House at the Dayuan Hotel.
2007: To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Old Summer Palace, with approval from the Ministry of Culture, the Society hosted the first international academic symposium on "Research, Protection, and Utilization of the Old Summer Palace from a Global Perspective." Resumed publication of the "Yuanmingyuan" academic journal.
2009: Established the Preparatory Committee for the 150th anniversary of the Old Summer Palace's destruction.
2012: Guoli Books published "Controversial Old Summer Palace."
January 2024: Held the Fourth Council meeting, with Wang Deying as president and Zhou Zaolin as executive vice president and secretary general.
Development Plan
The Society continues to dedicate itself to the international protection and World Heritage application of the Old Summer Palace ruins, providing academic support for the reproduction and dissemination of precious documents such as "Forty Views of the Old Summer Palace." It promotes the application of digital technology in cultural heritage research and deepens youth education programs, cultivating the next generation's respect and inheritance of historical culture, and enhancing public awareness of the Old Summer Palace's historical value. As a bridge connecting academic research and public education, the China Yuanmingyuan Society not only safeguards national memory but also provides important examples for the activation and utilization of cultural heritage, serving as an indispensable force in Chinese cultural inheritance.