OLD SUMMER PALACE RELIC RETURNED AFTER 160 YEARS.

NEWS ON 12/1

A bronze horse head looted(掠夺) from the Old Summer Palace(圆明园) in Beijing was returned today after 160 years.

160年前被人从北京圆明园掠走的马首铜像，在今天终于被归还。



It was the first time a major cultural relic(文物) from the Old Summer Palace was returned to its original location after being taken overseas. The horse head was designed by Italian artist Guiseppe Castiglione and blends East and West elements.

它成为第一件回归圆明园的流失海外的重要文物。马首铜像由意大利艺术家郎世宁（原名朱塞佩·伽斯底里奥内）设计，融合了东西方元素。



Late Macao billionaire(亿万富翁) Stanley Ho bought the bronze horse head and agreed to donate(捐赠) it to the National Cultural Heritage Administration(国家文物局) before his death.

澳门亿万富翁何鸿燊先生在生前买下了这尊马首铜像，并在去世前将它捐赠给了国家文物局。



Twelve animal head sculptures once formed a zodiac(生肖) water clock in the Old Summer Palace. The originals were stolen from the royal garden by Anglo-French allied forces(英法联军) during the Second Opium War(第二次鸦片战争) between 1856 and 1860.

圆明园的十二个兽首铜像曾经是十二生肖兽首喷泉水力钟。在1856年至1860年的第二次鸦片战争期间，英法联军入侵，并将它们从皇家园林中掠走。