Gallery 4: The First Opium War (1839-1842)

Originally a guardroom, this gallery tells the story of the First Opium War. The story unfolds with the arrival of foreigners, the operation of the Canton trade system and the harm caused by opium trade. It then proceeds to explain how Commissioner Lin Zexu destroyed the opium, how the British started the Opium War and how Hong Kong Island was ceded under the Treaty of Nanjing. There is a rich display of related artefacts, such as an opium pipe, an opium lamp, Chinese and British weapons of the period, and scale models of a Chinese war junk and a British warship. Replicas of Commissioner Lin's memorial to the Emperor and the very significant Treaty of Nanjing are also displayed. Complete with vivid graphic presentation and a video presentation, this display enables visitors to have a better picture of this important turning point in the history of Hong Kong.