26/03/2022
This photo was taken in front of the Taihe Gate, in the year 1902 the biggest gate of the palace of the Forbidden City, the environment around is really surprising, with weeds and with an aspect of abandoned and without care, a scene that represented the decline of the Qing dynasty. It was the period after the end of the Boxer War (1899-1901) that left China completely devastated.
In the heyday of the Qing dynasty, the palace would never have been so dilapidated, but after the Boxer War, and the payment of huge indemnities, the economy and the country was in shambles, famine raged in the country and the maintenance of the country's historical heritage was the key. least of China's problems at that time.
With the end of the revolt, China had to accept impositions from Western powers, such as: the ex*****on by Chinese hands of politicians and military linked to the Boxers; the prohibition of any activity hostile to foreigners, as well as the importation of weapons; handing over military forts and railroads to foreign control; in addition to the already mentioned heavy indemnity to be paid to the victors.
