From the 17th century through the height of the 18th century Chinoiserie period and beyond, Europeans in China left copious records. Due to Western domination in the cultural realm and the shifting relationship between China and the West, images of Chinese ruins conveyed a visual expression incompatible with the traditional Chinese view. ‘Picturesque’ post-war ruins symbolised a weak China in European eyes.

Orientalism, the Western attitude that treats the rest of the world and its people as ‘Other’ in frameworks of sentimentality and exploitation, played a role in the dramatic dissemination of images of Chinese ruins. Given the precipitous drop in support for this ideology, how should people treat buildings that embody and express such ideas?

Kew Gardens and the Great Pagoda are used as case studies to explore the development of traditional Chinese and Western concepts of ruins, interpreting their representation through the lens of Orientalism. In the 18th century, Kew Gardens became a testing ground for William Chambers to create ‘Oriental’ architecture. Numerous Oriental buildings there, however, have fallen into ruin. This dissertation proposes an Oriental walk through Kew Gardens, employing specific memorial devices to discuss existing or lost Oriental building sites, reminding viewers not to forget this history.