Yuan Ming Yuan to me is a wrestling arena where arts, political maneuver and commercial impetus collide. Knowledge gained from history is largely dictated by the national education system. School educations strive to promote a collective memory that sees Yuan Ming Yuan as a national humiliation. History textbooks never miss out a chapter describing the looting of Yuan Ming Yuan by the western imperial force in 1868. Notably, the invasion of the western force constitutes the only source in referencing to the severely deteriorated condition of Yuan Ming Yuan.
Popular cultures and arts constitute my personal memory of Yuan Ming Yuan. Yuan Ming Yuan is a cultural sign to be consumed in the entertaining industry, exemplified by the film CZ12: Chinese
