(This article was first published in Small World Ezine on 28 June 2002)
The Opium War
Two things happened in the eighteenth century that made it
difficult for England to balance its trade with the East.
First, the British became a nation of tea drinkers and the
demand for Chinese tea rose astronomically. It is estimated
that the average London worker spent five percent of his or
her total household budget on tea. Second, northern Chinese
merchants began to ship Chinese cotton from the interior to
the south to compete with the Indian cotton that Britain had
used to help pay for its tea consumption habits.
To prevent a trade imbalance, the British tried to sell more
of their own products to China, but there was not much
demand for heavy woolen fabrics in a country accustomed to
either cotton padding or silk. So the best solution at the
time was "Opium".
Opium for medicinal purposes was first manufactured in China
toward the end of the 15th century. It was used to treat
dysentery, cholera and other diseases. Not until the 18th
century were there any accounts of opium smoking in China.
In 1729, the Imperial Government prohibited opium smoking in
China, but it seemed to be too late. Numbers of Chinese
people had already been addicted, and the British-owned East
India company has already monopolized the opium trade there.
Britain's governor-general of India wrote in 1830, "We are
taking measures for extending the cultivation of the poppy,
with a view to a large increase in the supply of opium."
The Opium War of 1839-42 started when the Chinese imperial
government confronted foreign merchant ships and demanded
they surrender their illegal cargo. Captain Elliot of the
British fleet sent in British battle ships from India
instead.
After the deaths of thousands of Chinese, the first Opium
War ended on Aug. 29, 1842, with the Treaty of Nanking. The
treaty forced the Chinese government to pay $15 million to
the British merchants. Furthermore, it opened up five ports
to English trade. And that's when it ceded Hong Kong to
Britain for 99 years, ending 1997.
Meanwhile, the opium trade continued to thrive. It led to
the second Opium War in 1856-1858 of which result was
another loss of China. The humiliation the Central Kingdom
suffered is still remembered and strongly affects important
aspects of its foreign policy today.
References, and more readings:
http://www.druglibrary.org/
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/
http://www-chaos.umd.edu/
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/
http://www.infoplease.com/
http://www.hyperhistory.com/
How to get there...
Hong Kong International Airport is loaded by International
flight from all over the world. You can take a flight from
any big city there.
To get around...
You can get a taxi or a bus from the Airport to town (kind
of far). If there are more than three people in your group,
getting around by taxi is cheaper than bus. Do not try the
Star Ferry from Hong Kong (the island part) <--> Kawloon
(the mainland part of Hong Kong that is attached to mainland
China). It's a historical ferry. Used to be the modernest in
the region.
To stay...
Better stay in or nearby SOHO or Tsim Sha Tsui area. This
place is packed with restaurants of different and/or exotic
cuisines from around the world that you can eat 24 hours a
day. When it's time to eat, Hong Kong is said to be the best
place on earth.
Where to go...
Shop in Tsim Sha Tsui and Stanley Market, visit the most
famous viewpoint of Victoria Peak, meet fortune-tellers at
Wong-Tai-Sin Temple. If you have kids with you, give one day
to the world's largest reef aquariums (plus dolphin shows &
roller coasters) at Ocean Park. The landscape of the place
is remarkable. You should visit even though you are not with
kids. And if you have one or two days left, you can take a
day trip to Lan Tau Island (with giant Buddha) or Macau
(ex-Portuguese port famous for gambling activities). You can
also take a train trip into the suburb of mainland China.
Here're some views from live cameras...
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/
Hong Kong International Airport Diagram Digital Map
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