The Sick Man of East Asia

Sales of opium as a drug were restricted in Britain in 19th century. But the British sold it to China to balance their trade deficits. The British branded opium as medicine for people's pain, insomnia, and other health problems.  Many Chinese became quickly addicted to opium. Throughout 19th century, China was known as the Sick Man of East Asia. This was related to Chinese consumption of opium. Opium addicts became physically weak and lost their ability to work. Moreover, the soldiers lost their ability to fight. As a result, the British controlled the entire Yangtze region very easily. In 1842, Britain and China signed the Treaty of NanKing.  China agreed to open five ports to foreign trade and ceded Hong Kong to Britain. The first Opium War is now widely regarded as the beginning of modern Chinese history. The 1850s saw Britain and France fight China in the Second Opium War, which culminated in the burning of the Emperor's Old Summer Palace in Beijing, fully legalized the opium trade and opened more ports to foreign merchants. It should be no surprise that the Old Summer Palace is just a ruin and not worth visiting today.

鸦片作为毒品在19世纪的英国是被限制销售的。 但是，英国把它卖给了中国来平衡他们的贸易赤字。 英国人将鸦片列为治疗人们疼痛、失眠和其他健康问题的药物。 许多中国人很快就对鸦片上瘾了。 在整个19世纪，中国人被称为东亚病夫。 这与中国人吸食鸦片有关。 鸦片成瘾者变得身体虚弱，失去了工作能力。 而且，那些士兵都沒战斗力了。 因此，英国人很轻松就控制了整个揚子江地区。 1842年英国和中国签署了南京条约。 中国同意开放五口通商，并将香港割让给英国。 第一次鸦片战争如今被广泛认为是中国近代史的开端。 19世纪50年代，英法对中国发动了第二次鸦片战争，以北京圆明园被烧毁为高潮，鸦片贸易完全合法化，并向外国商人开放了更多的港口。 今天的圆明园只是一片废墟，沒有参观的价值, 不足为奇。