Commissioner Lin Zexu Overseeing the Destruction of Opium at Guangzhou, 1839 A formidable Chinese bureaucrat known for his competence and high moral standards, Lin Zexu was sent to Guangzhou (Canton) as imperial commissioner in late 1838 to halt the illegal importation of opium by the British. He made a huge impact on the opium trade within a matter of months. As a result, British troops invaded China, and the ultimate British victory in the Opium Wars forced China to grant European merchants one-
(Pictures from History/Bridgeman Images)