# Canonical recap data for Opium War Ends, China Cedes Hong Kong (1842)
# Source: https://recap.at/1842/first-opium-war-ends
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: first-opium-war-ends
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1842/first-opium-war-ends"
title: Opium War Ends, China Cedes Hong Kong
aliases:
- First Opium War
- Treaty of Nanking
- Anglo-Chinese War
subtitle: Opium War Ends, China Cedes Hong Kong
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1842-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1842
decade: 1840
country:
name: China
slug: china
summaryShort: An opium den was an establishment in which opium was sold and smoked. Opium dens were prevalent in many parts of the world in the 19th century, most notably China, Southeast Asia, North America, and France. Throughout the West, opium dens were frequented by and associated with the Chinese because the establishments wer
summaryLong: An opium den was an establishment in which opium was sold and smoked. Opium dens were prevalent in many parts of the world in the 19th century, most notably China, Southeast Asia, North America, and France. Throughout the West, opium dens were frequented by and associated with the Chinese because the establishments were usually run by Chinese mobsters, who supplied the opium and prepared it for visiting non-Chinese smokers. Most opium dens kept a supply of opium paraphernalia such as the pipes and lamps that were necessary to smoke the drug. Patrons would recline to hold the long opium pipes over oil lamps that would heat the drug until it vaporized, allowing the smoker to inhale the vapors. Opium dens in China were frequented by all levels of society, and their opulence or simplicity reflected the financial means of the patrons. In urban areas of the United States, particularly on the West Coast, there were opium dens that mirrored the best to be found in China, with luxurious trappings and female attendants. For the working class, there were many low-end dens with sparse furnishings.
lede: Britain fought China over the right to sell opium, and won decisively. The 1842 Treaty of Nanking forced China to open its ports to British trade, pay a large indemnity, and cede Hong Kong to Britain-marking the first of many Western impositions that would reshape Chinese sovereignty for the next century.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Opium_den_chinatown.jpg/1280px-Opium_den_chinatown.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Opium den"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Treaty signature date
  value: 29 August 1842
- label: British indemnity received
  value: 21 million silver dollars
- label: Territory ceded to Britain
  value: Hong Kong Island
- label: Chinese ports opened to British trade
  value: 5 treaty ports including Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghai
- label: British military commander
  value: Captain William John Napier
- label: War duration
  value: 3 years (1839–1842)
- label: Chinese lead negotiator
  value: Qishan, Imperial Commissioner
timeline:
- date: 1839-06-03
  title: Lin Zexu Destroys Opium Stocks
  description: Chinese imperial commissioner Lin Zexu ordered the destruction of 1.3 million pounds of British opium in Canton, triggering the conflict.
- date: 1840-06-01
  title: First Opium War Begins
  description: British naval forces under Admiral George Elliot attacked Chinese coastal positions in response to the opium seizure.
- date: 1840-09-01
  title: British Forces Capture Chusan
  description: British ships took control of Chusan Island in the East China Sea, establishing a forward base for operations.
- date: 1841-01-26
  title: Convention of Chusan Signed
  description: Preliminary agreement between Qishan and the British outlined terms for Hong Kong cession and trade concessions.
- date: 1842-08-29
  title: Treaty of Nanking Signed
  description: Chinese official Qiying signed the formal treaty ending the war. Hong Kong Island transferred to British control; five treaty ports opened.
- date: 1842-10-08
  title: Treaty of Nanking Ratified
  description: Chinese Emperor Daoguang ratified the treaty, making it officially binding.
- date: 1843-01-26
  title: First British Governor Arrives
  description: Sir Henry Pottinger became the first British Governor of Hong Kong, establishing colonial administration.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_den"
  title: Opium den
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Opium War's conclusion established Britain as the dominant foreign power in East Asia and shattered the notion of Chinese sovereignty. The treaty system it created allowed Western nations to carve out spheres of influence across China, accelerating the country's century-long descent into foreign domination and internal instability.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- exchange
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: Britain defeats China in the Opium War, securing Hong Kong and opening Chinese ports to Western trade in 1842.
wikidataQid: Q847761
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260325021529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_den"
  capturedAt: 2026-03-25
  label: Opium den
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_den"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Opium_den_chinatown.jpg/1280px-Opium_den_chinatown.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Opium_den_chinatown.jpg/800px-Opium_den_chinatown.jpg"
  caption: Opium den
  credit: Wikipedia · "Opium den"
  width: 330
  height: 253
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/An_opium_den_in_San_Francisco._Wellcome_M0018554.jpg/1280px-An_opium_den_in_San_Francisco._Wellcome_M0018554.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/An_opium_den_in_San_Francisco._Wellcome_M0018554.jpg/800px-An_opium_den_in_San_Francisco._Wellcome_M0018554.jpg"
  caption: An opium den in San Francisco. Wellcome M0018554
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 3960
  height: 2680
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Opium_Smokers_%28Taber%2C_1885%29.jpg/1280px-Opium_Smokers_%28Taber%2C_1885%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Opium_Smokers_%28Taber%2C_1885%29.jpg/800px-Opium_Smokers_%28Taber%2C_1885%29.jpg"
  caption: Opium Smokers (Taber, 1885)
  credit: Isaiah West Taber
  width: 1416
  height: 1080
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Smoking_Opium_by_Lai_Afong_c1880.jpg/1280px-Smoking_Opium_by_Lai_Afong_c1880.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Smoking_Opium_by_Lai_Afong_c1880.jpg/800px-Smoking_Opium_by_Lai_Afong_c1880.jpg"
  caption: Smoking Opium by Lai Afong c1880
  credit: Lai Afong
  width: 1600
  height: 1269
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: British opium imports to China
  thenValue: 4,600 chests annually
  thenYear: 1820
  nowValue: 0 chests
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Trade that sparked the war collapsed entirely by the 20th century
- metric: Hong Kong population
  thenValue: ~5,000
  thenYear: 1842
  nowValue: 7.5 million
  nowYear: 2024
- metric: Chinese territory under foreign control
  thenValue: Hong Kong Island (443 sq km)
  thenYear: 1842
  nowValue: None (returned to China in 1997)
  nowYear: 2024
- metric: Life expectancy in Hong Kong
  thenValue: ~30 years
  thenYear: 1842
  nowValue: 85.9 years
  nowYear: 2024
consequences:
- title: Treaty of Nanking signed
  year: 1842
  description: China cedes Hong Kong Island to Britain in perpetuity, opens five treaty ports (Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai), and pays 21 million silver dollars in indemnities. The first of the 'unequal treaties' that defined the next century of Sino-Western relations.
- title: British naval supremacy in Asia consolidated
  year: 1844
  description: Hong Kong becomes the primary British military and commercial hub in the region, establishing a coaling station and naval base that would dominate East Asian geopolitics through World War II.
- title: Second Opium War erupts
  year: 1856
  description: Tensions over trade restrictions and foreign access reignite when British and French forces, backed by the Arrow incident, attack China again. The conflict lasts until 1860 and forces even greater concessions, including the legalization of opium trade itself.
- title: Hong Kong becomes international free port
  year: 1847
  description: Britain establishes Hong Kong as a free trade zone, attracting merchants from across Europe and Asia. The colony's population swells as it becomes a major commercial center independent of Qing taxation and regulation.
- title: Opium imports to China triple
  year: 1860
  description: Following the Second Opium War, Britain and other Western powers flood China with opium legally. Annual imports reach 100,000 chests by 1880, creating an estimated 10 million addicts across the empire.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: The early 1840s in Britain and Europe were defined by industrial expansion, free-trade ideology (Adam Smith's influence), and early Victorian imperialism. In China, the Qing Dynasty under the Daoguang Emperor attempted isolationist policies against Western commerce—a conflict that the war decisively resolved in the West's favor. The Treaty of Nanking marked the beginning of what Chinese historians call the 'Century of Humiliation.'
relatedQueries:
- First Opium War causes and timeline
- Treaty of Nanking 1842 terms
- British East India Company opium trade
- unequal treaties China Qing Dynasty
- Hong Kong history ceded Britain
- Second Opium War 1856-1860
- Daoguang Emperor China resistance Western trade
- opium addiction China 19th century
- Canton system British trade restrictions
