1839 Chinese destruction of illegal opium seized from British traders, which led to the First Opium War
China's destruction of seized British opium in 1839 provided the direct casus belli for the First Opium War, reshaping Sino-Western trade relations.
Key Facts
- Start date
- 3 June 1839
- Duration
- 23 days days
- Opium destroyed
- 1,000 long tons
- Authorized by
- Lin Zexu, Imperial Commissioner of Qing China
- Location
- Banks of the Pearl River, Humen Town, Dongguan
- Resulting conflict
- First Opium War (1839–1842)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
British traders had been importing opium into China illegally, fueling widespread addiction and draining Chinese silver. The Qing government appointed Lin Zexu as Imperial Commissioner to suppress the trade, and he demanded that British merchants surrender their opium stocks, which they ultimately did under pressure.
Beginning on 3 June 1839 and lasting 23 days, Lin Zexu oversaw the destruction of approximately 1,000 long tons of confiscated British opium on the banks of the Pearl River outside Humen Town, Dongguan. The opium was mixed with salt, lime, and water before being flushed into the sea, marking one of the largest seizure-and-destruction operations in the history of the trade.
Britain used the destruction of the opium as a justification for war against Qing China, launching the First Opium War (1839–1842). China's defeat resulted in a series of unequal treaties with Western powers that forced open Chinese ports to foreign trade and ceded Hong Kong to Britain, fundamentally altering China's sovereignty and its relationship with the outside world.