28 May 2023

WAY BACK WHEN: The Lucrative Drug Trade in 19th Century Mainland China > How Far West Britain Went To War With Far East China Over Opium (13:51)

Victorian Great Britain imported luxurious and exotic items from China, but China only accepted payments in silver, creating a huge imbalance in trade.
  • To avoid losing money on imported goods, Britain had to sell something back to China, and in desperation, the decision was made for Britain to sell opium.

  • When diplomatic efforts to introduce opium to the Chinese market failed, the British Parliament approved an alternative: war.
  • There were two wars, one from 1839 to 1842 and another from 1856 to 1860. They are collectively known as the Opium Wars.
These conflicts are largely forgotten in the Western world, perhaps out of a sense of collective shame. But in China, the Opium Wars are still symbols of national humiliation at the hands of the Western powers. 

 

TERRA INCOGNITA: But - then again - there was Marco Polo before all that 

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Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer and writer from the Republic of Venice who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. --- Wikipedia
Apr 6, 2023 — Although he knew little or no Chinese, he did speak some of the many languages then used in East Asia—most probably Turkish (in its Coman ...
Jul 30, 2012 — Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire.
At the height of the Mongol Empire, Marco Polo served Emperor Kublai Khan in China and returned to Venice to write an account of his experiences that would ...
Marco was a shrewd businessman who won the Mongol emperor's favor and was sent on special missions all over the region. His stay in China lasted seventeen years ...

POST NOTES:

Flock of Marco Polo sheep appear in NW China's Xinjiang

(People's Daily Online10:59, March 02, 2023

Photo shows a massive flock of Marco Polo sheep in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Tayirjan Kerimjan)

A massive flock of Marco Polo sheep recently appeared in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, presenting a spectacular view.

Over 1,000 Marco Polo sheep appeared in an untraversed region at an altitude of 4,300 meters on the Pamir Plateau, with some of them grazing and others galloping.

"This is the largest flock of Marco Polo sheep found in recent years," said Anarhan Ashim, a forest ranger of natural resources bureau of the county.

Photo shows galloping Marco Polo sheep in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Tayirjan Kerimjan)

"To protect the sheep, the forest rangers ensured minimal disturbance, intensified patrol efforts, and created a sound environment for them," Anarhan Ashim said. "The country has restored the ecological environment, and made remarkable results in biodiversity protection," she added.

Photo shows three Marco Polo sheep on the snow-covered Pamir Plateau. (Photo/Tayirjan Kerimjan)

The species is under second-class state protection in China. Home to some 20,000 Marco Polo sheep, the county has witnessed significant growth of wildlife population.

Photo shows a Marco Polo sheep. (Photo/Tayirjan Kerimjan)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)



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