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Destruction of opium at Humen
1839 event starting the First Opium War / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The destruction of opium at Humen began on 3 June 1839, lasted for 23 days, and involved the destruction of 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) of illegal opium seized from British traders under the aegis of Lin Zexu, an Imperial Commissioner of Qing China. Conducted on the banks of the Pearl River outside Humen Town, Dongguan, China, the action provided casus belli for Great Britain to declare war on Qing China.[1] What followed is now known as the First Opium War (1839–1842), a conflict that initiated China's opening for trade with foreign nations under a series of treaties with the western powers.
Quick Facts Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese ...
Destruction of opium at Humen | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 虎門銷菸 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 虎门销烟 | ||||||
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