To imagine its original splendor, people usually refer to a series of paintings, now in France, drawn by royal court artists in 1744 that depict 40 major scenes in Yuanmingyuan.

But Liu Yang wants to change this and allow people to have a better understanding of the majesty of the places. Working in the administration section of the park since 2004, he has been devoted to searching for old photos taken in Yuanmingyuan.

"Yuanmingyuan is so important, but its image is vague for us," Liu tells China Daily in an interview in his office. "It's difficult for researchers because there are few relevant files. I want to be the one to collect them."

In February, more than 300 old photos of Yuanmingyuan, which were collected from overseas by Liu, were publicly released. These photos immediately became a hot topic on social media.

"They can be key clues to learn about Yuanmingyuan's past, but there's still a long way for our research to go to decode the abundant information in the photos," the 40-year-old man says.

Not a single photo was taken within this compound, a forbidden area for the public before 1860. Nevertheless, according to a report based on an official investigation by the Qing Dynasty royal court in 1861, 13 sites among the "40 major scenery" in Yuanmingyuan remained, at least in a partial state, after the fire.

The photos are a clear testament to the artifacts that remained after 1860.

"They even greatly change our old understanding of history," Liu says. "It's a journey full of surprises."