Page 102 - Collecting and Displaying China's Summer Palace in the West

6 “Chinese Gordon” and the
Royal Engineers Museum

James Scott

Much of the exhibition space within the Victorian section of the Royal Engineers
Museum in Gillingham, Kent, U.K. is devoted to a particular celebrity of that era,
Major General Charles Gordon (1833–1885). Among his many nicknames is “Chinese
Gordon,” named so for his exploits in China, both while serving in the British Army
during the Second Opium War (1856–1860) but also for his subsequent achievements
in defeating the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) while leading the “Ever Victorious
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Army.” The focus of this chapter is his involvement in the sacking of the Summer
Palace in Beijing and the material culture that the Royal Engineers Museum holds
as a result of this event.

Historical Context
Before going any further it is useful to provide some context regarding Charles
Gordon’s role in the sacking of the Summer Palace. This incident took place at the
end of the Second Opium War (1856–1860). It was fought between China and a
foreign expedition consisting of British, French, and (to a lesser extent) American
forces. Both the First and Second Opium Wars were fought over issues of international
trade. Prior to the wars, China was exporting a great deal of goods to the West and
this put it in a very favorable position. Britain responded to this trade imbalance by
enforcing imports of opium into China, and attempting to legalize this trade. China
responded with military action in order to prevent this and preserve its sovereignty.
The result of the two wars was to open up a previously inward-facing China to
Western influences and trade.
During this war, Gordon was serving with the Royal Engineers. Two companies
of the Royal Engineers were present at the sacking of the Summer Palace in 1860;
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the 23rd and the 8th. Gordon, as a captain, was in command of the 8th Company.
The Royal Engineers had established a headquarters near the north-western gate of
Beijing. Gordon first visited the Summer Palace on Monday October 8, 1860 during
a period of relative inactivity. Following this, on October 11, the Royal Engineers
were put to work, with Gordon as Second in Command, to get batteries and guns
into position. The Chinese had been ordered by the British to give up the Summer
Palace by October 13. Gordon’s activities on the 11 were an effort to enforce the
ultimatum. Gordon described the events:

We were sent down in a great hurry to throw up works and batteries against
the town, as the Chinese refused to give up the gate we required them to surrender