Although he died more than one-and-a-half centuries ago, Chinese opium war hero Lin Zexu remains a household name due to his adamant protest against the importation of the drug before 1840. One of Lin's letters, estimated to have been written more than 160 years ago, was recently found. It explains his inner feelings during the period, which finally led to the signing of the "Nanjing Treaty."
Lin Zexu addressed the letter to a friend in Fuzhou. He had been sent to Guangzhou to ban the drugs. In the letter, Lin recounted the period when he was the coordinator for Jiangsu Province. He also expressed his firm attitude on lifting local taxation when the region suffered from severe droughts or floods, despite pressure from the Qing government. He also went into great length about the battle against drugs.
Lin's fifth descendant, Lin Jitao, who found the letter when rummaging through piles of documents at home, said his ancestor had the steely determination to ban opium.
Lin's action precipitated the Opium War during which China lost badly and had to cede to a humiliating treaty.
(CCTV.com March 24, 2003)
