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Unfortunately, the garden was looted and torched by the Anglo-French allied force in 1860 and by the allied force of eight powers in 1900. A once wondrous garden was reduced to ruins. Visitors today can see a few blocks of stone and broken marble that once belonged to the European palaces constructed under Emperor Qianlong between 1740 and 1747.
The Old Summer Palace is located to the east of the Summer Palace. Construction started in 1709 and was completed after more than 150 years. With an area of over 340 hectares and buildings that used to take up more than 160,000 square metres, the three-in-one garden was considered a masterpiece of Chinese gardening.

The spacious park consists of three main sections: Yuanmingyuan (Garden of Perfection and Brightness), Wanchunyuan (Garden of 10,000 Springs), and Changchunyuan (Garden of Eternal Spring), centred around the lake, Fuhai (Lake of Happiness). Changchunyuan has the best preserved ruins, those of the Great Fountain in the European garden.

The original Yuanmingyuan was composed of 145 buildings and 40 scenic spots. It was also home to some of the most valuable treasures in China. In 1860, the British and French armies stormed the garden, burned down most of the buildings and took all of the treasures. All that remains today are some of the marble archways and fountains.
Despite the fact that the treasures and the buildings are gone, Yuanmingyuan is still a great park to visit. It is a good walk, and the peaceful ruins offer a welcome respite from the crazy buzz of the city. You should definitely make time for a visit here.