In the prosperous and beautiful city of Beijing, on the grand and magnificent Tiananmen Square, stands the Monument to the People's Heroes, towering and majestic. Eight enormous bas-reliefs record the history of the Chinese nation's indomitable struggle for liberation. Before the prominent first relief, people inevitably pause and gaze for a long time—this is the world-shocking "Destruction of Opium at Humen." The history of the modern Chinese people's anti-imperialist and anti-aggression struggle began right here.
Lin Zexu—was precisely the pioneer of this great struggle.
Lin Zexu (1785–1850), styled Yuanfu, also Shaomu, with the late-life pseudonym Sincun Laoren, was a native of Houguan, Fujian (present-day Fuzhou, Fujian). Born into a poor family, he served as an official with integrity and uprightness, deeply concerned for the people's hardships and widely praised by the populace. He was a patriotic statesman, thinker, and poet of the Qing Dynasty in China. During the Opium War period, he advocated the strict prohibition of opium and resistance against Western capitalist aggression, insisting on safeguarding China's sovereignty and national interests. He seized and destroyed large quantities of opium and thwarted multiple armed provocations by British aggressors, demonstrating great patriotic spirit. Historians regard him as the "first person in modern China to open his eyes to the world."
**The Destruction of Opium at Humen**
Throughout history, Lin Zexu's name has always been linked to the famous Destruction of Opium at Humen.
Opium, commonly known as "dope" or "afurong," is made from the dried latex of the poppy fruit, appearing as brown to black dry cakes with a distinctive odor; medicinal opium is in powder form. A powerful narcotic, opium was originally used in China as a medicinal herb for calming the nerves and relieving pain, known as "foreign medicine." However, opium contains large amounts of morphine and nicotine, is highly toxic, and once addiction takes hold, it is extremely difficult to quit. This leads to declining physical strength, depleted energy, weakened will, and ultimately, loss of life. Britain began the opium trade in the 18th century, smuggling over 4,000 chests of opium into China in 1799 (each chest weighing about 50 or 100 kilograms), which surged to 35,445 chests by 1835. By 1835, the number of opium users in China was estimated at over 2 million, indicating that the scourge of opium had become widespread.
Due to the influx of opium, on one hand, addicts were produced in large numbers; on the other, vast amounts of silver flowed out of the country. The rampant opium epidemic had become a severe threat to the survival of the Chinese nation. At this point, Lin Zexu could no longer contain his righteous indignation. In 1838, he resolutely submitted a memorial to Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, declaring passionately: "Opium has poisoned the entire land, causing immense harm. If we continue to treat it lightly, in several decades, the Central Plains will have almost no troops capable of defending against the enemy, nor silver to fund the military."
At that time, Qing officials were roughly divided into two factions regarding the opium issue: the "strict prohibition" faction, which advocated banning opium, and the "relaxed prohibition" faction, which opposed the ban. Emperor Daoguang, wavering between the two factions, was deeply moved upon reading Lin Zexu's memorial. In December, he summoned Lin Zexu to the capital for consultations, receiving him 19 times within half a month. Lin Zexu detailed his proposals for prohibition and the measures he planned to take, profoundly impressing the emperor, who appointed him Imperial Commissioner to go to Guangdong to suppress the opium trade.
On March 10, 1839, Lin Zexu arrived in Guangzhou, bearing a heavy responsibility. The next day, he posted a notice at the gate of the Imperial Commissioner's office: refusing any local supplies, forbidding villains from using his name to harass the people, strictly restricting the activities of his entourage, and firmly eliminating corruption, favoritism, and leaks of secrets. He solemnly declared: "If opium is not eradicated completely, this official will not return. I vow to see this matter through to the end and will never cease halfway." At the same time, he took a series of decisive measures: consulting with Deng Tingzhen, Governor-General of Liangguang, and Guan Tianpei, Commander of the Guangdong Navy, on reorganizing the navy and strengthening coastal defense; gathering informed citizens to expose drug traffickers; arresting 61 key opium dealers colluding with British capitalists; and ordering foreign merchants to surrender all their opium within three days. At the time, 22 opium hulks anchored in the Lintin waters each stored over 1,000 chests of opium. However, foreign merchants used their usual tactics of delay, denial, and bribery, agreeing only to surrender 1,037 chests. Lin Zexu sternly rebuked them and ordered the summons of the chief opium dealer, Dent, who was obstructing the destruction. Frightened, Dent went into hiding and refused to appear. Under the protection of Charles Elliot, the British Chief Superintendent of Trade in China, Dent fled overnight but was discovered and captured by angry citizens en route. Elliot, furious and humiliated, threatened to use force. Lin Zexu, utterly fearless, ordered warships to patrol the coast, dispatched troops to blockade the foreign merchants' factories, and cut off all trade and supplies to the foreigners. Once arrogant and domineering foreign merchants, now holed up in their factories, even faced difficulties obtaining water and food. Meanwhile, Lin Zexu drafted a notice posted at Elliot's residence, warning sternly: "From now on in China, those who sell opium will die, and those who smoke opium will also die... How can it be that only the people of the mainland deserve death, while you alone do not?" The outwardly strong but inwardly weak Elliot, having no options left, had no choice but to lower his head and instruct British merchants to surrender all their opium. By mid-May, the total amount of opium confiscated by China reached 19,187 chests and 2,119 bags, weighing over 2.3 million jin (approximately 1.15 million kg) and valued at over 8 million taels of silver. As opium dealers were one by one expelled from the country, Elliot also left Guangzhou with the British in the factories, looking dejected and defeated.
June 3, 1839, was a day that would be forever unforgettable for the Chinese people. On this day, the weather was clear and the sea water a beautiful blue; the Humen beach was packed with people. Lin Zexu, together with officials of all ranks, personally supervised the destruction of opium. On the higher ground of the beach, there were two man-made pools, each 15 zhang (about 50 meters) square, filled with brine. With several loud "boom... boom..." cannon shots, batches of opium were dumped into the pools, followed by quicklime. Instantly, the pool water boiled and smoke billowed. When the pool gates opened, the dissolved opium residue flowed into the vast ocean with the surging tide. At that moment, thousands upon thousands of onlookers erupted into thunderous, earth-shaking cheers.
From June 3rd to the 25th, the destruction of opium at Humen lasted for over 20 days. Throughout this period, Lin Zexu diligently supervised the complex process without a moment's rest. He labored day and night, meticulous and flawless. Initially, foreign merchants "claimed the Chinese would not destroy a single tael of opium," but they were astonished to see that Lin Zexu destroyed the entire confiscated stock of opium—over 2.37 million jin (approximately 1.185 million kg)—within more than 20 days.