Roofkunst

The destruction of the Summer Palace

In 1860, French and English troops destroyed the Summer Palace in Beijing. Many objects that were taken during the destruction of the palace are part of private art collections or have ended up in various museums in Europe and America. The Zodiac Heads have become a symbol of the destruction and fall of the Summer Palace, which in China is called 'the century of humiliation'. Although some of the heads have been found or bought back, some have still disappeared without a trace. Will the Chinese government succeed in bringing all twelve heads together again, and how far are they willing to go?