James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811 – 1863) was a British colonial administrator and diplomat. In 1857, he was appointed High Commissioner and Plenipotentiary to assist in the process of opening up China and Japan to Western trade. In 1860, during the Second Opium War in China, he ordered the destruction of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing in retaliation for the torture and execution of almost twenty European and Indian prisoners.

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Size: 3183px × 4110px
Location: Far East
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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