18611October, Hugo, a great French writer, wrote a letter to a captain named Butler. In the letter, Hugo was indignant and denounced the criminal act of the British and French allied forces burning down the Yuanmingyuan. The following is an excerpt from Hugo's reply:

"Sir, you asked me what I think of this trip to China. You think this is commendable and well done, and you are very polite and attach great importance to my feelings. According to your opinion, this expedition to China under the double banner of Queen Victoria and Emperor Napoleon is the glory of Britain and France; Do you want to know how much I appreciate this victory between Britain and France? Since you want to know my opinion, my reply is as follows: somewhere in the world, there is a great miracle of mankind, and this miracle is Yuanmingyuan.

Art has two origins: one is thought, from which European art comes into being; One is fantasy, from which oriental art comes into being. Yuanmingyuan belongs to fantasy art, and everything a superhuman nation can fantasize about is gathered in Yuanmingyuan, which is the prototype of a huge fantasy, if there is a prototype of fantasy. Just imagine an indescribable building, a fairyland like the Moon Palace, and that is the Yuanmingyuan. Suppose there is a treasure island that is a masterpiece of human imagination, appearing in the image of palaces and temples, and that is the Yuanmingyuan. In order to build Yuanmingyuan, people have experienced two generations of long-term labor, and then several centuries of construction. Who was it built for? For the people. Because the passage of time will make everything belong to all mankind. Masters of art, poets and philosophers all know the Yuanmingyuan that Voltaire once talked about. People always compare the Parthenon in Greece, the pyramids in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Notre Dame de Paris and the Yuanmingyuan in the East. If you can't witness the Yuanmingyuan with your own eyes, people will see it in their dreams: in the distant twilight, it seems to be an amazing masterpiece that has never been seen before, just as the outline of Asian civilization rises on the horizon of European civilization.

This miracle is now gone. One day, two robbers broke into Yuanmingyuan. One robber robbed and the other set fire to it. Judging from their behavior, the winners may also be robbers. An unprecedented looting of Yuanmingyuan began, and the two conquerors shared the stolen goods equally. This is a great achievement and a godsend! One of the two winners filled his pocket, and the other saw it and filled his box. Then, arm in arm, they returned to Europe with a smile. This is the history of these two robbers. In the face of history, the two robbers were called France and England. I want to protest against them and thank you for giving me the opportunity to protest. The crimes committed by the ruler have nothing to do with the ruled. The government may be a robber sometimes, but the people are never. The French empire got half of the stolen goods from this victory, and now it seems naive that it is the real master, showing the glory of the looting of Yuanmingyuan to the fullest. I long for the day when the French can get rid of the heavy burden, cleanse their sins and return these wealth to the plundered China. Sir, this is my thanks for the expedition to China. "

—— Excerpted from the article Hugo Watching Yuanmingyuan Burning in Baidu Library.

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