Lin Zexu, photo 1 of 2
Lin Zexu, photo 2 of 2

Photo credit

Photo
-Portrait of Lin Zexu (cropped )
By
Lam Qua
Licence
Public domain
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Resized

Photo credit

Photo
Commissioner Lin Zexu
By
From a drawing by a native artist in the possession of Lady Strange
Licence
Public domain
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Resized

林则徐

林則徐
Lín Zéxú
proper noun

Meanings

  1. 1 Lin Zexu, Qing official whose burning of British opium at Humen sparked the First Opium War

About Lin Zexu

1785–1850 · 政治家 politician

Qing official sent to Canton to stop the opium trade. His destruction of over 1,000 tonnes of seized opium in 1839, 虎门销烟, is a fixed part of Chinese history lessons, as is his line 苟利国家生死以.

Also called  元抚、 少穆

Examples

HSK 7-9
Lín Zéxú zài Hǔmén xiāoyān shì Zhōngguó jìndàishǐ de qǐdiǎn zhīyī.
Lin Zexu's destruction of opium at Humen marks one of the starting points of modern Chinese history.
HSK 7-9
Lín Zéxú xiěxià le " gǒu lì guójiā shēngsǐ yǐ " de míngjù.
Lin Zexu wrote the famous line 'If it serves my country, I will stake my life on it.'

Tips

mistakes
The opium at Humen was not burned: it was soaked in pits of seawater with salt and lime, then let out to sea on the ebb tide, hence 销烟, 'destroying the opium'. Lin even wrote a prayer to the sea beforehand, asking its creatures to keep away.

Stroke Order

林 lín
则 zé
徐 xú