British Museum's Rarest Chinese Artefact 

Were?

Still is and always will be, they cultivated 5000 years of civilization

Perspective was a weakness.

similar artifacts are found in India, Iraq and etc.. With the same age if not older.

@@firstconsul001 It's not an inherent competiton. OP, in his opinion, thinks the Chinese are the best relatively not asserting as better than other civlisation even the contemporaries at that time. Also, arguing semantics here, but "similar artifacts" is a wide-unconclusive answer as there could shared similarities, yes; however it's almost impossible to be similar in that sense that artifacts created are influenced by its culture and environment

It is explained in the video

The Victoria & Albert Museum, London has the Yuan Ming Yuan loot.

I don't agree with western power looting. However, western has taken care. If there had been still in China, they would not have survived CCP Mao culture revolution. Sadly, the treasures have to be looted to be projected

@@highroaduk637 The ignorant Chinese teenagers destroyed the Chinese artefacts during Mao's cultural revolution. It was the Chinese own business. The British and French allied forces looted the Chinese artefact. They were robbers. For example: If I burnt my 100 dollar note, it is my own business. If you looted my money, you are a robber.

@@highroaduk637 Cultural revolution was happened in the 20th century. NOT 21st century.

Conquered those who win go the spoils of war

The British Empire was built on the rape, looting and colonial rule of other countries. There is nothing great about great Britain, if the British museum and British government had any integrity it would hand back all the artifacts and treasures that were stolen ,looted. to the rightful owners. I am British and married to a Chinese.

Sadly The Chinese destroyed so much during the Destruction of Four Olds Campaign. Luckily the British held onto this item.

The Chinese themselves through the Cultural Revolutionary Red Guard would have destroyed it. The Red Guard was led around by rings through their noses by the Great Helmsman. Even the Great Helmsman said his "Little Red Book" was a bunch of nonsense. The Red Guard generation is known as the "Lost Generation".

@@asparadog …..you meant the English soldiers looted , stole, plundered all these Chinese arts, artefacts from the Beijing palace. Yet these arrogant English have the audacity to display them in their museum. So shameless.

@@asparadog The Chinese destroying their own property has no comparison to outsider colonialist coming to destroy other countries' property. I have the right to destroy my own property but is it right for your neighbor to do the same ？

​@@ALIEN_857 The british attempted to preserve them, rather than destroy them, unlike members of the chinese community during the four olds. it wasn't their property either.

By far the worst evisceration of China was done under the Mao regime by communists. I'm not sure whether to blame China's own communist or Russians. Probably both.

I agree on this as a chinese myself, when i was studying i had the chance to study chinese art that was purchased by europeans and it really opened a window to what used to be. i saw lacquered chess boards, inlaid with beautiful pearls, they were gold plated with gold powder on lacquer. On the back of the chest board was this MASSIVE BATTLE SCENE it was super cool. If you go to Yangzhou today you will never find things of such complexity and the texture of the lacquer doesn't look right. It seems plastic and synthetic. And when visiting japan i found textiles, patterns from the han dynasty that china no longer made. It was pretty interesting because there are so many japanese textile patterns that are not native to japan but they are no longer made proper in China itself. It is a pity however its for the most part recoverable. Documentation of these old crafts largely survived the cultural revolution they could be made again but there isn't a demand to make them, much less a demand to train the old ways to recreate them. Its better to make close imitations with simple designs from factories than it is to return to old form. Also a lot of these old cultural objects are associated with nobility and the government is not big on the connotations these items have on class. With that, there is very little support in restoring them aside from a few in museums. Traditional craft schools are still alive in china, and they still can teach you the basics to put the puzzle pieces together including the works displayed in the video. Provided the goverment is willing to support it. The government has supported the revival of certain arts in recent years but i won't expect anything grand most of the finest of works are still associated with class and dynasties.

@@missourimongoose8858where did you get these fake news? Ccp destroy the culture of themselves? Chinese ruined themselves?how silly is that

@@KnoLove you obviously own a computer so it's really not that hard to look up what moa did to ancient Chinese artifacts because communism respects nothing which is why the best ancient Chinese artifacts are in tiawan

@@missourimongoose8858 did u been to Peking palace museum? The reason for the establishment of the Taipei Palace Museum was the Japanese invasion

@@KnoLove so your saying that the communist didn't destroy all kinds of historical artifacts during the Chinese Civil War and then later the great leap forward? And that the Taipei palace was created only because of the Japanese and not to protect it from the commies ad well?

the reason for ransacking the palace as Britain put it was a revenge act against the Chinese emperor for the death of 21 out of 39 British diplomatic personnel by torture, sure they gonna get what is valuable to the emperor or what is the point? calling it robbery doesn't change the fact it was perfectly legal under international laws and treaties at that time. I found it insincere that the video never talks about the reasons behind the ransacking of the summer palace.

@@advancedmonkey7702 The same reason you do not mention the reason for those 21 diplomats being in the country was due to British merchants repeatedly breaking Chinese laws against the importing of Opium and the British Government's armed support of the these drug traders. Is that sincere enough for you?

@@advancedmonkey7702 …….those so-called international law and treaties were all drafted and designed by the imperialists and China were forced to sign them. Under your English common law, agreements signed under duress are NOT VALID. Such simple law yet you, the brainwashed , arrogant, bully does not understand.

@@youfeerich540 This sounds exactly like a Chinese person would say. Chinese don't recognize nor understand laws, only force, that is also exactly what the British government realized in the 1840s thus the opium war. and maybe, the Americans could understand this is still a fact in today's China.

@@advancedmonkey7702 it couldn’t get more “legal” as the East India Company was basically government backed drug smugglers…am I right?

@@TerryBell1968 Think about what have American done to you

It’s victory spoils?? How is it stealing if they won?

once a robber, always a robber

@@TerryBell1968 Yeah I’m guessing that China has destroyed historical Tibetan monuments, it wouldn’t surprise me. They suppress the Uyghur culture so I guess they do the same.

@@TerryBell1968 When the PRC collapse 🤣🤣🤣what delusions are you harboring? did you perhaps read one of the 10 book on how china was going to fall 🤣 you people so desprate you wrote 10 books on how china was going to fall yet 20 years later from the 2001 " the coming collpase of china" china is doing fine unlike well last time i checked on little uk didnt Birmingham declare bankruptcy? the americans been dying left and right 70k a year die of chinses fetnal who is gonna fall first you or your 🤣delunsions

@@TerryBell1968 lmao Like the extermination of North American tribes, some to EXTINCTIOM, like the destruction of their culture, their language and the looting of their sacred lands and objects? You prexisely mentioned 3 wars, am i right? What the Westerners looted around the world wasn't evn due to a war but to their imperialism and their beloef they are superior races than the rest! Those western billionaires travelling around like the world is their garden and looting and piling all up later in "collections".... So, do you want me to talk about wars?? hahaha cause there are HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of wars that the West started around the world where they destrpyed amd looted all the heritage... How about that sweetheart? Just focusing on Middle East and Africa will take me the whole day 😘

@@TerryBell1968 Also... destruction of Korean cities? lmao You mean the Korean War that was provoked by USA? And later do ypu mean the Vietnam War that was provoked by USA? We can talk about the destruction, the lootingof the USA.. oh well we can also mention the Napalm, the Orange Agent in Vietnam, or the hundreds of thousand of USA cluster bombs all around Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia that are still killing people to this day... But nahhh you don't want to talk about that do you?

@@TerryBell1968 Did you know that the Sorched Earth Policy was done by USA? 🤣🤣🤣

@@TerryBell1968 keep bringing up irrelevant things? ahahaha Look at my original comment, and tell me how your USA propaganda agenda is relevant to my comment? I was talking about the looting, the genocides of the West. So why are you changing issues and inventing stuff! Hahaha that is what your mogul lords and the wikipedia told you to believe! In any case, that was a Civil War to begin with. But of course USA had to use other country to fight Russia (that is why they threw 2 nuclear bombs over Japan to negin with, just to let Russia see how big their dck was!) and just like they are using Ukraine today to fight Russia, and they will use Taiwan to fight China! lmao so sweetheart, keep embarrassing yourself 🤣😘

有道理！

大英博物馆展出的被盗艺术品和文物。

Yes, they have a very comprehensive variety of artefacts. The Museum also updates the objects on display periodically, taking some out of storage, and putting others back in.

Yeah I agree. How all these stolen Chinese artifacts ended up in Britain is a myth to everyone?

Different Chinese artefacts in the British museum that were stolen by the British.

...Unless that Briton has a modicum of self-respect (in short supply now), then he'd be happy to explain it to you. (And, if he doesn't, I as an American will be happy to do it on his behalf -- since I recognize the benefit to my own life of the legacy of the greatest and most beneficent empire ever in human history.)

@@MrJm323 I beg to differ. Self-respect is in no short supply It is the bare minimum of respect for others that there appears to be a considerably depleted supply of. I blame Fox News.

@@billcook7285 "...respect for others..." Respect for unaccountable Chinese tyrants (emperors and self-selected mandarin bureaucrats)?? There is a lack of respect for the British achievement of the 19th century: Bringing civilization, science, industry, ideas of constitutionalism and the rule of law (as distinct from feudalism, the rule of unaccountable potentates, and tribal councils) to the benighted lands of Asia and Africa, even the near world-wide abolition of chattel slavery. ...Sadly, even British people are increasingly losing the knowledge of the real history of their nation (I mean, beyond memorizing names and dates). I blame the neo-Marxists running the state-administered and state-financed schools, who teach the young to hate capitalism, civil society and civilization itself. ...And, indeed, even humanity itself ("Extinction Rebellion" and "the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement"). Obviously, such a dis-educated person would have to hate Britain of the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries -- the first modern capitalist nation, home of the first industrial revolution, Mother of Parliaments and liberal constitutional societies, etc..

@@MrJm323 okay first, no disrespect. Now! The United States invented constitutional democracy. Not Britain. Second, I never said anything disrespectful about the accomplishment of the British people. And never will. They have given the world a great deal. That said, they've also taken a great deal. As far as industrializing the world goes, building infrastructure in order to exploit the natural resources of colonized Nations and peoples doesn't exactly do much to help the people or nations being exploited. Just saying

By winning

🤣🤣🤣

Keep crying!! 👍🏻 😂

U FOCKEN WOT M8, AV AKTUALLEH EARNED DEES TREASAAAH MOISELF, WE “AV NO CULTURE ‘ERE IN ENGLAND CUZ WE’RE ALL BORING RUBBISH 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🤡🤡🤡

@@TerryBell1968 here we go again, another little angloid Englander trying desperately hard to justify the past undisputed crimes, damages and vandalism they have done to another - "but what about the palace being built in honor of a imperialistic ruler"? Then *what about* the past illegal imperialisms comitted by the British around the globe? You know, ever since Britain nowadays is currently doing god-awful economically wise with all the living crisis going on - recession, inflation, lowering of living standards and so on, I've seen some comments of those from countries that were previously colonised and plundered by the British empire saying "Karma, Karma" *especially* the Indians. Heck, a lot of them are even proud and gloating at the fact Britain is ironically ruled by a Brown man of Indian descent whilst also recently *overtaken* the UK's economy to rub it in even further. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound. I'd agree with them on there and say Karma well-deserved.

Can't cover up a crime if none was committed. Since when have the British or French ever "covered up" what was supposed to have been an object lesson to the arrogant, obtuse dynastic regime of China? (Nice try though.)

Don’t look into why the second opium war started, doesn’t paint china in a good light.

Uk and French had no business in being in China. Just a bunch of robber barons that got their hands on Guns a little earlier and abused it

"was a massive act of cultural destruction and robbed China of some of its finest history. The people of China have not forgotten" Do you think the same can be said of the Chinese Communist Party and what it did to China under Chairmen Mao and the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Mike? No country is without sin when it comes to destroying its own cultural heritage or the cultural heritage of others.

@@Davidnz but this isn't comparable to depict China doing it to themselves versus when a foreign INVADER did it to China. One might even say the Chinese has more prerogative or is more worthy of the destruction of their OWN creation as opposed to foreigners and invaders that did not contribute to the cultural treasures and beauty that it destroyed and looted. For instance, in an individual scale, I should have prerogative to destroy my own art and inventions but not others. You western people keep bringing this argument but fail to understand this essential thing I mentioned. SMH. Typical. Still, Britain should return these items. The only thing British about them is the British thievery that took place that got them in that museum in the first place. If England (it's just England and the Anglos, really) wants to amend ties with China and India (which it doesn't because the British are thieves and dishonorable lot, qualities which may even be embedded in their DNA) and remedy this "sin" they committed as you put it, they should return the items they stole at once. It is no wonder China and India are cross with England.

@@Davidnz so two wrongs make a right in your book? 🙄

@@JS-ih7lu He's trying to nicely tell you that had it stayed in China it would have been destroyed. Like so many artifacts that live in British museums not only can they be seen for free but had the not been saved by the British they wouldn't exist now for people to whine about.

@@mikefish8226 1. Tell that to the 6000+ Chinese museums housing over 46 million artefacts that their artefacts shouldn’t exist because they weren’t handed over to the British Museum 2. Did you even watch the video? The British Museum almost destroyed the rare Chinese painting because they didn’t know how to properly care for Chinese paintings. Guess who do know how to care for Chinese paintings? I’ll give you a hint, it’s Chinese people. The painting would’ve had better chances of staying intact in China. 3. If the Brits took relics from other countries for altruistic reasons, why don’t they give it back? Your comment reeks of hypocrisy 🙄

it would have probably been destroyed in the cultural revolution if still in China

@@clivebaxter6354 This perspective is wrong. In the very first time the looting should not have happened. According to your reasoning, I’d better give my house keys to the the British because they can guarantee my belongings will forever last… This is what Europe is doing these days with some other renown countries gold, assets and money… Your logic is incredible, your logic is European: Theft.

@@pepepombal6448 No way should anything ever bee returned to the biggest thieves and destroyers of Chinese culture- the CCP. If this were to be given back it should go to Taiwan.

@@clivebaxter6354 Let’s leave it here you are simply brainwashed. By the way, how is life during the very last days of “social welfare” there in your ALWAYS PERFECT world/continent?

@@pepepombal6448 Ok comrade!

Good point! The subtitles are automatically created by RU-vid after uploading, but they must have made some mistakes - I'll go back and check them for errors.

And they have now been manually amended!

Opium.

@@myrineae i know 😉

Thanks for your insight! You are right, there are some very deep meanings behind many of the scenes, and I only have a very basic level of understanding! I really respect people like yourself who have studied the painting extensively, and who are able to reveal the hidden meanings.

Great shut the museum down. It is free of charge and 6 million people from around the world see the items each year. Send everything to countries where fewer people will see them in museums that poor people cannot afford to enter. It will save the British taxpayer $100+ a year which we can spend on housing and healthcare. Then when the next revolution happens in Egypt everything can be looted again. I guess every country should only have their own items, which means America will have jack-and-shit on display. We look forward to the return of all that Roman and Greek art taken out of our nations. You'll even have to return the Native blankets back to the native tribes. So I guess you'll have a model T ford and the first McDonald's wrapper on display.

@@AnyoneCanSee Poor people? Have you been to China. Stop being condescending! Return those stolen goods to the owner's country. I can tell you, China can take better care than UK. China has more ancient relics than the whole UK! What are you talking about? You think England is cheap to visit? And look at your Museum, all stolen items! Great shame England!

China's Red Guard would have destoryed it. Keep the scrolls where they are.

@@33Donner77 You are living in the past.

It actually is Budai, the monk. The figure, especially in this fleshy, amiable characteristics, was actually depicting Monk Budai of Hou Liang dynasty, who have been believed among the people at the time as the reincarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva, and since gradually being used in China and East Asia as the image of Maitreya.

Thanks for the positive feedback!

One thousand and one agree, return to where it comes from

The Chinese Revolutionary Red Guard would have destroyed it. Keep it where it is.

@@33Donner77 … stop insulting our intelligence. So now is the time to return all these stolen artefacts.

@@33Donner77 Honestly, just think... how did Duanfang (a politician) aquire the other scrolls? and, why is the video's date off by a substantial number of years? The scrolls were purchased from Yamanaka & Co in 1930 by the british museum.

India Africa Egypt as well

Sure, I can provide a little background. I lived in China for many years, during which time I developed a strong interest in Chinese history. I have travelled extensively within China, I can speak and read Mandarin to a decent level (although as many have pointed out in the comments, my pronunciation could use some improvement). I am thinking about creating a video at some point on my motivation for creating this channel and what I am aiming to achieve, within which I can also provide some further insights into my background.

China can have the crown jewels and take Charlie boy too and welcome.

Definitely these artifacts were stolen . China should sent some highly skilled professionals to break into the museum n take back those artifacts .

They are now in the right place. These items were legitimate war booty. And, by "rightful owner", do you mean the descendants of Pu Yi (the last emperor of that dynasty)? (I suspect that you are claiming that the dictator, Premier Xi, and his Communist Party is the "rightful owner". ....I personally find your remark quite disturbing!)

@@MrJm323 Rightful owners means us ,the Chinese people . Don’t care if it is Pu Yi or Xi Jin Peng . These artifact should b in the land of China . No two buts about it !

@@MrJm323 and I say it again - if they dint return them , just break into the museum n take them back !

Greeks, Egyptians and Indians also rightfully screaming for return of their looted treasures.

They were liberated by British troops inflicting a just punishment upon an arrogant dynastic, mandarin bureaucrat-ruled regime who attacked British persons engaged in free trade. I imagine they were transported by ship to London.

@@MrJm323 The British had no business to force the Chinese to trade. It was gunboat diplomacy. The British were no saints. Like other European colonisers they embarked on a foreign policy of looting, plunders, and land-grabbing of Asian countries.

@@MrJm323 LOL "liberated", "free trade".

@@MrJm323 just said that artefacts has been robbed from China by England the world's thugs

What on earth are you waffling about? The British Museum in London is free to enter and is visited by 6 million people each year from across the globe. You talk as if this is in a British-only museum that makes money from the object they have. The British museum costs over $100 million a year to run. I'm sure plenty of British people would be happy to shut it down and use the money for housing and healthcare. You complain the Brits don't appreciate these items despite being one of the nations on earth that spend $100+ million to allow 6 million people from across the globe to appreciate its displays free of charge. Do you think poor workers in Egypt can afford to go to their museums? You are just a racist and a bigot, like so many today. Britain is a multicultural society with an Indian leader and yet idiots like you still talk about colonialism as if it is a part of British culture today. Racist tool!

Exactly...

Hi Eva, I'm glad you liked the documentary! Your friends can watch the video with English subtitles - they just need to activate them with the subtitles button, which is found on the bottom right of the youtube screen. I also try and speak very slow and pronounce clearly in the video, so that it will be easier for non-native speakers to understand.

@@BygoneChina The auto-generated subtitles are always awful! They mess up names. In particular, Chinese ones! You should have added good subtitles!

There are English subtitles now. Not auto-generated ones

Agreed - I have now fixed the subtitles!

@@BygoneChina Good!!! I watched the beginning. You have not added punctuation, though! One more thing. Pay attention to your intonation. Sometimes you stress the wrong word, which makes comprehension difficult! Thanks a ton!!

LIBERATED. These items are sitting where they rightfully belong now. (As it turns out, if they had remained in mainland China, they'd likely be destroyed by the Communist regime anyway -- "Away with the Four Olds!") Maybe you should do less imagining and more learning.

The CCP lost all right to claim ownership once Mao started Cultural Revolution.

@@MrJm323 The PRC has protected their cultural heritage in museums.

@@David-hk3ly ....Also David, "The Nazis protected the Jews in the ghettoes and concentration camps." Yeah, okay. Whatever bud!

Which China?

@@asparadogThere's only one China and that's the mainland, not the small island.

@@ALIEN_857 That's **opinion**; I respect that. I personally believe that the Republic of China is more legitimate.

This is not an English lesson on spelling but on great Chinese artifacts !

no big deal, people know it.

thats a fact. But since it doesnt belong to Africans it wont happen.

Thats not the CCP

@@clivebaxter6354 你们能看懂上面的汉字? 一群流氓

@@clivebaxter6354 definitely not UK imperialists for sure… SB

@@clivebaxter6354 anglo Saxon is thief.

Looted, or purchased, before 破四旧立四新.

Yes, different Chinese Dynasties had Emperors from differ Ethnicities. For example, the Yuan Dynasty had Emperors of the Mongolian ethnicity, the Ming Emperors were of the Han ethnicity, and the Qing Dynasty Emperors were Manchus.

Good question!

I cover the 1860 invasion in the "What did the British loot from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing?" video. Although the 1860 invasion only involved the British and the French - the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion actually occurred in in 1900.

Thank you too!

Guess you did the watch the whole video where it shows a Song Dynasty copy of the same painting still in China which is in much better condition than this one 'saved' by the British looters.

Add kissing pig

Interesting logic, thanking the thief for robbery

@@Japo0po0 The thinking of barbarians as well?! 😜

Stolen from China.

Thank you, thief.

Hi Oscar, the dating on that object is highlighting that the item is from a specific period within the Ming Dynasty.

@@BygoneChina the caption at 9:07 wrote "Ming Dynasty (618 - 907)"

The same reason you do not mention the reason for those 21 diplomats being in the country was due to British merchants repeatedly breaking Chinese laws against the importing of Opium and the British Government's armed support of the these drug traders. Is that sincere enough for you?

@@426mak This dude think the Diplomats are saints🤣. They literally forced the chinese to Import Opium with a price that they themselves set. Yeah its legal by international law cause you made those law your own😂.

@@426mak Still, the Qing government didn't have the authority to enforce the local laws on the British citizens according to the treaty after the first Opium War, but the Qing didn't just enforce the local law and then process to torture 21 Britain diplomatic personnel to death, any form of retaliation from Britain was justified against the Qing government under the international laws at that time.

@@advancedmonkey7702 And the British government had no rights to interfere in the Qing government enforcing Chinese laws prior to the Opium war but that did not stop them protecting their subjects who were dealing in drugs and murdering locals in kowloon.

@@426mak You are ill-informed on the history of that part, the Britain merchant ships never enter Qing water while carrying opium onboard, their storage ships were anchored outside of the jurisdictions of the Qing, it was the local Chinese merchants who did all the smuggling making all the mad profits meanwhile the Qing local officials taking large amount bribes from the Chinese smugglers. it was the Qing government that failed to stop the Chinese smugglers then went to the open seas to confiscated the opium that belonged to Britain, which is illegal under international laws at the time.