Yuanmingyuan: A Fragment of History

Yuanmingyuan: A Fragment of History With a heavy heart, I stepped into the gate of Yuanmingyuan. As I entered the park, the spring breeze gently brushed my cheeks, carrying a hint of floral fragrance, but my heart could not be lightened by it. Looking around, I saw a tranquil scene, with the lake shimmering, the willows on the shore swaying gently, and the tender green branches swaying in the wind. In the flower bushes not far away, flowers of various colors were blooming, exuding a vibrant vitality. Walking along the winding path, I arrived at the Western-style Building Scenic Area. Here, I found the heartbreaking ruins. Once, this place was so magnificent, with palaces and fountains that combined the essence of Chinese and Western architectural art, which were breathtakingly beautiful. But now, what is presented before my eyes are only those weathered stones, standing there alone. Some of them are tilted, some have already broken, and the deep ravines on them seem to be the scars left by time. Touching these stones, my fingertips felt the weight and sorrow of history. The prosperity of the past has long since vanished, leaving only this desolation, silently telling the humiliating history. In 1860, the fire set by the Anglo-French Allied Forces mercilessly devoured the glory of this garden of gardens, countless treasures were looted, and countless buildings were burned. The fire burned for three days and nights, and it also burned the hearts of every Chinese. Looking at the scene before me, my eyes gradually became moist, and tears could not help but flow. This is not only a regret for the destruction of a garden, but also a painful memory of that unbearable history. Those ruins are like silent witnesses, witnessing the atrocities of the invaders and the suffering of the Chinese nation. In this ruin, I walked slowly, lost in thought. The glazed tiles, red walls, pavilions, and winding paths of the past are all gone. Only these stones remain, standing in the wind and rain for a hundred years, carrying the memory of history and the hope of our nation. Now, between these ruins, new life is growing vigorously. Grass stubbornly pokes its head out of the cracks in the stones, and wildflowers bloom wantonly beside the ruins. They symbolize an indomitable strength, a hope of rebirth in suffering. When I left Yuanmingyuan, my mood was still unsettled. This ruin constantly reminds us that backwardness leads to being beaten, and only a strong country can make a nation prosperous. We must not forget history, but also draw strength from it, and strive for the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.