Lin Zexu Museum (Opium War)
Lin Zexu Statue in Guanzhou, China
Lin Zexu Museum Photo Gallery (Downloadable Pictures)
Located in Humen Town in Dongguan, the Opium War Museum is
where the historical materials and the relics of Lin Zexu
destroying opium and the Opium Wars (1840-1842 and
1856-1860) are preserved, exhibited and researched. Lin
(1785-1850) was a great patriotic politician and poet in
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He destroyed about 1,188,127
kilograms (2,619,372 pounds) of opium at Humen Beach in
1839. The museum is one of the one hundred National
Patriotism Education Base Models.
The Opium War Museum comprises three scenic areas: the
museum itself; the Shajiao Emplacement; the Weiyuan
Emplacement. The museum is also called Humen Lin Zexu
Memorial Hall. Shajiao and Weiyuan Emplacements are situated
in Shajiao Community and Weiyuan Island in Humen.
In the museum, the Exhibition Building is the main
attraction. Encompassing a total area of about 2,400 square
meters (0.5 acre), the building is built like an
emplacement. It mainly displays an exhibition on the history
of Lin Zexu destroying opium and the Opium Wars. The
exhibition can be divided into eight parts: the
circumstances in China before the first Opium War; the
import of opium to China; Lin Zexu destroying opium; Britain
launching the Opium War; people in Guangdong and other
coastal provinces fighting against the British forces; the
end of the Opium War and Chinese people's anti-invasion
activities. The ancient relics are also exhibited there,
such as the opium smoking sets, the couplets and the slogans
written by Lin Zexu, the cannons, the swords and the long
spears used to fight against British invaders as well as the
arms captured from the invaders. Among those relics, 13 are
first level ones under state protection.
Modern technologies including sand table, sound, light and
electricity models have been applied to the exhibition in
the museum. The application of those advanced technologies
makes the exhibition more vivid and interesting. Therefore,
visitors can have a better understanding of the Opium Wars.
Other attractions in the museum are the Statues of Humen
People Fighting Against British Army, the Ancient Cannons,
the Bronze Statue of Lin Zexu, the Monument to the
Destruction of Opium and the Sites of Two Pools where Lin
Zexu destroyed opium.
The Shajiao Emplacement and the Weiyuan Emplacement are the
important historical sites of the Opium Wars. Tourists can
go there to appreciate the ancient cannons and emplacements
and recall the scene that Humen people fought against with
the foreign invaders during the Opium Wars.
(TravelChinaGuide.com)
