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Post by Doug 周 on Feb 21, 2014 8:42:24 GMT -5
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Post by laohuaqiao on Feb 21, 2014 14:01:59 GMT -5
Using balance of trade as a justification for pushing opium is a new first.
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Post by douglaslam on Feb 22, 2014 6:15:25 GMT -5
Just a few random thoughts on opium. I clearly remember when I was a small child, I could still see people smoking opium in the village. June, or July 1956, I arrived in Hong Kong. At the crowded pre-War flat, which housed many tenants, one, a taxi driver needed his fix daily. I remember the pungent smell well which pervaded the unit.
The article also mentioned the river port Humen 虎門. Humen is very close to Hong Kong, it was here a huge quantity of opium was burnt on the order of Lin Zexu 林則徐. In our genealogy book, his name is always on record, and holds a place of honour. I visited Humen in 1993. My cousin in Canton had the use of a military vehicle, we didn't have to pay any road toll. I would like to go back again and see the opium burning pit 燒烟池.
The British were certainly adept at gunboat diplomacy. Jardine Matheson went on to become one of Hong kong's major hong 怡和洋行 or trading houses.
Let me digress: tyuti1668, in 1956, one of the first movie I saw was 寶蓮燈 featuring 張活游,紫羅蓮 and 林家聲 at the old 新華 cinema on Argyle St. I so much wanted to see it again, but it isn't available on youtube. Can you find it online please?
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Post by Doug 周 on Feb 22, 2014 8:41:18 GMT -5
For Westerners, understanding the effects of the Opium wars sheds light into the identity of China and their how it shades their foreign policy. For those interested, consider renting this video from Amazon: siyigenealogy.proboards.com/post/9300/thread
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