Statue of Lin Zexu

In NYC Manhattan's Chatham Square, in Chinatown, there is a statue of Lin Zexu. It honors the sacrifices and struggles of Lin Zexu against drug abuse in 19th Century China.

Chatham Square is a major intersection in Manhattan's Chinatown. The square lies at the confluence of seven streets: Bowery, East Broadway, St. James Place, Mott Street, Oliver Street, Worth Street and Park Row.

Lin Zexu was an Canton (Guangzhou) official during the Qing Dynasty (Manchu 1644-1911). He is credited with his attempts to stop and embargo the use of opium by European traders (1839). England was shipping opium into China as a means to pay for its tea trade.

Lin's memorandum of protest over the use of opium for trading, sent to Queen Victoria, was never delivered and Lin was made a scapegoat for his actions that led to the start of the First Opium War. The Qing Dynasty was too weak to defend itself against European imperialism.

The Opium Wars (1849-1842 and 1856-1860) lead to the opening of many treaty ports, including the cession of Hong Kong Island to England. These wars are considered in China to be the beginning of modern Chinese history.

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USA-Canada / USA-New York

Lat: 40° 42' 48.14" N
Long: 74° 60' 53.36" W

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Tokina fisheye 10mm lens, Nodal Ninja R1 pano head, PTGui Pro 9.0