"The poison of cigar smoke is a disaster that China has never had in 3,000 years," Wei Yuan wrote in the Atlas of the Sea. 1June 3, 839 (April 22, 19th year of Daoguang reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Qing Dynasty), Lin Zexu ordered the public destruction of opium in Humentan, destroying opium 19 187 boxes and 219 bags with a total weight of 2,376,254 Jin.
Sign a treaty
The method of selling cigarettes also needs careful consideration. The easiest way is definitely to burn. Because there are a lot of opium, it is very difficult to burn it completely, and the destruction is not complete. Opium will soak in the ground, and smokers will find some after digging a few feet. So the witty Lin Zexu quickly thought of the second method, that is, seawater immersion. He dug a big pool first, then poured lime into it, and then put all the opium in it, so that the opium would slowly dissolve in the sea water. In this way, in a full 23 days, Lin Zexu destroyed opium weighing more than 2.8 million Jin. Interestingly, at that time, some foreigners did not believe that opium would be eroded by seawater, so at the invitation of Lin Zexu, they observed it on the spot. After reading it, they expressed their shock at Lin Zexu's method. Since then, foreigners have designated the day when there is smoke as No Tobacco Day, and the day that ends has become the International Anti-Drug Day. Lin Zexu's success in selling cigarettes shows the determination of the Chinese nation to oppose foreign aggression, while safeguarding the dignity and interests of the Chinese nation. At the same time, the destruction of opium in Humen is an unprecedented feat in human history.
the opium war
1840 (20 years of Daoguang), the British government decided to send an expeditionary force to invade China on the pretext of destroying Lin Zexu's opium in Humen. 1in June, 840, 47 British ships and 4,000 troops led by Major General George Elliott and China Commercial Supervision Law arrived outside the Pearl River Estuary in Guangdong Province, blocking Haikou, and the Opium War began. During the period of 1842, the Qing government was forced to negotiate with the British government in Nanjing Jinghai Temple, and the two sides held about four talks in the temple. 1842 On August 29th, on the British flagship "Hanhua" (also translated as Cornwallis), the Qing government in China accepted all the terms put forward by Britain, and Jane and Pu Dingcha signed the first unequal treaty in China's modern history-Sino-British treaty of nanking. Treaty of nanking has thirteen Chinese and English versions, and its main content requires China:
(1) ceded Hong Kong Island; (Loss of territorial sovereignty)
(2) Compensation for British opium price, commercial debt and military expenses totaling 21100,000 silver dollars;
(A lot of silver outflow)
(3) Trade with five ports and open Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo,
There are five trading ports in Shanghai, allowing British people to live and send consuls; (Loss of trade sovereignty)
(4) For the agreed tariffs, British businessmen should pay import and export goods tax and reimbursement fees, and China Customs has no right to decide independently; (Loss of tariff sovereignty)
(5) Abolish the public banking system and allow British businessmen to trade freely in China. (loss of trade sovereignty).
In addition, it also provides for equal exchanges between officials of both sides, the release of soldiers and civilians of the other side and the withdrawal of British troops.