The Yuanmingyuan, or Garden of Perfect Brightness, was a sprawling 18th-century imperial retreat in Beijing featuring a unique blend of Chinese landscapes and European-style palaces before its destruction in 1860. Today, visitors can explore the ruined site and its history through digital guides, while related historical exhibits, such as a 300-year-old Western dress shown in Hangzhou, highlight early cross-cultural exchanges. For a detailed visual guide of the palace before its destruction, refer to the resources from MIT Visualizing Cultures .