Light Of The Orient

On this Day In History
1860: Peking's Summer Palace destroyed

Quote Of The Day
"All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient. It contained not only masterpieces of art, but masses of jewelry. What a great exploit, what a windfall! One of the two victors filled his pockets; when the other saw this he filled his coffers. And back they came to Europe, arm in arm, laughing away. Such is the story of the two bandits.


We Europeans are the civilized ones, and for us the Chinese are the barbarians. 


This is what civilization has done to barbarism."


(Victor Hugo, in a letter to Brigadier General Smedley Butler in answer to a request for Victor Hugo's opinion of the China Expedition. The full letter, well worth reading, can be found at Napolean.org)

The Last Emperor