 The Russian college was merged into the Tongwen Guan in 1863.In 1860, Qing China was defeated by Britain and France in the Second Opium War.This event, which led to the invasion of the capital of Beijing and the fleeing of the Xianfeng Emperor to Chengde and his subsequent death, as well as the burning of the grand symbols of imperial glory, the Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace, created an urgent sense of crisis amongst the Chinese elite.