In August 1841, the Opium War was in full swing. In Xiamen, Fujian Province, a battle for China's fate is about to begin. Yan Botao, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, devoted himself to building the strongest defense line in China - Shibi Fort. The 16-kilometer-long granite defensive line, equipped with more than 400 cannons and deployed nearly 15,000 soldiers, is impregnable. However, when the fleet of the United Kingdom Expeditionary Force sailed into the waters of Xiamen, this supposedly impregnable defensive line collapsed in just 2 hours. This battle not only revealed the huge gap in military strength between China and Britain, but also became a turning point in modern Chinese history.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Qing Empire was in turmoil. The Western powers are eyeing the ancient empire in vain.
In 1840, the Opium War broke out, and the Qing government and the opposition were shocked. Emperor Daoguang fidgeted and looked around for a general who could turn the tide.
At this moment, an official named Yan Botao came into the sight of Emperor Daoguang. Yan Botao once served as the governor of Yunnan and was known for his uprightness and courage to do things.
Emperor Daoguang believed that such a hard-line official was the best choice to guard the coastal towns. Therefore, he decisively transferred Yan Botao to the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, responsible for the defense of Xiamen.
After receiving the appointment, Yan Botao immediately left for Fujian. As soon as he arrived in Xiamen, he handed over all government affairs to the governor of Fujian and devoted himself to defense work.
He was well aware of the strategic position of Xiamen, which was not only one of the most important cities in China, but also a frontier against British invasion. Yan Botao made up his mind to build Xiamen into an impregnable fortress.
He investigated everywhere and found that although Xiamen was not rich in products, it was rich in a hard stone, granite. This stone is exceptionally strong and is one of the best building materials in the world.
Yan Botao had a flash of inspiration and decided to build an impregnable line of defense with granite. He immediately ordered the demolition of the original fortifications and threw himself into the construction of a new line of defense.
During the construction day and night, a 16-kilometer-long stone wall fort gradually took shape. The line was 3.3 meters high and 2.6 meters thick, with gun holes set every 16 meters.
Yan Botao spared no effort to install cannons on the forts, a total of 100 guns. He also deliberately spread a thick layer of earth on the outside of the stone wall to prevent the soldiers from splashing debris when the shells hit the stone wall.
In addition to the main line of defense, Yan Botao also set up fortifications elsewhere on Xiamen Island. He set up barracks on the side of the stone wall and built a wall behind it to prevent the British from the flanks and rear.
To the east and north of Xiamen Island, Yan Botao deployed 1,410 soldiers and 100 artillery pieces. In order to guard the West Waterway, he also arranged 10 warships and 300 soldiers in the Takasaki area.
Yan Botao's defense concept does not stop there. He set up 103 cannons on the other side of Xiamen and another 76 cannons on Gulangyu Island, forming a huge network of crossfire.
In order to further strengthen the defense, Yan Botao built circular stone forts on four small islands on the outskirts of Xiamen Island. He also planned to add 50 naval warships to make up for the firepower gap between the islands.
The construction of these fortifications cost a huge amount, totaling more than two million taels of silver. Yan Botao felt that this was not enough, and even planned to raise taxes in Fujian to raise funds for the construction of more forts.
However, Emperor Daoguang was very dissatisfied with this huge expense. The ministers of the DPRK and China also complained about Yan Botao's approach, fearing that other coastal provinces would follow Xiamen's lead, causing military spending to spiral out of control.
Emperor Daoguang ordered Yan Botao to cut off his troops in order to save money. However, Yan Botao turned a deaf ear and continued to go his own way, continuing to expand his troops and increase military spending.
Just as Yan Botao was about to build another 1,300 cannons, the British army suddenly attacked. On the evening of August 25, 1841, the United Kingdom Expeditionary Force arrived in the waters of Xiamen, opening the prelude to this imminent war.
Strive to build a solid building with huge funds
After Yan Botao took over as the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, he immediately threw himself into the planning of Xiamen's defense. He was well aware of Xiamen's geographical advantages, and the abundance of granite was an excellent material for building a strong defensive line.
Granite is known for its hardness and durability, and Yan Botao decided that if even this stone could not withstand the fire of the British army, then what else could be? Therefore, he decisively decided to rebuild the fortifications of Xiamen with granite.
The project was huge, and Yan Botao ordered people to dismantle the original defense facilities and make every effort to build an unprecedented strong defense line. During the construction day and night, a 16-kilometer-long stone wall fort gradually took shape.
The line was 3.3 meters high and 2.6 meters thick, with gun holes set every 16 meters. Yan Botao spared no effort to install cannons on the forts, a total of 100 guns.
In order to further protect the soldiers, Yan Botao came up with an ingenious idea and spread a thick layer of earth on the outside of the stone wall. In this way, the inside is hard granite and the outside is soft earth, which can both resist artillery fire and reduce the damage to soldiers from the splash of rubble.
The Shibi Fort was only one part of Yan Botao's grand defense plan. He set up a military camp on the side of the stone wall and built a wall behind it, forming a three-dimensional defense system.
To the east and north of Xiamen Island, Yan Botao deployed 1,410 soldiers and 100 artillery pieces. This force was designed specifically to deal with a possible landing operation by the British army.
In order to guard the West Waterway, he also arranged 10 warships and 300 soldiers in the Takasaki area. In this way, the defense of Xiamen Island can be described as impregnable.
But Yan's defense concept doesn't stop there. He knew that attack was the best defense, so he set up 103 cannons at Yuziwei on the other side of Xiamen.
On Gulangyu Island between the two islands, he installed another 76 cannons. In this way, nearly 300 cannons formed a huge network of crossfire, and it would be difficult for any enemy ship to survive such dense artillery fire.
In order to further strengthen the defense, Yan Botao built circular stone forts on the four small islands of Xiamen Island, namely Dadan, Erdan, Qingyu and Huyu. These forts were like outposts of Xiamen's defense system, capable of spotting and striking at invading enemies in advance.
Considering that the distance between the islands may lead to a gap in firepower, Yan Botao also planned to add 50 sailor warships. These ships can maneuver between islands, ready to fill in any defensive holes that may arise.
Such a large-scale fortification naturally requires a huge amount of manpower and material resources. Yan Botao installed more than 400 cannons and deployed 5,680 regular troops in the entire Xiamen area.
In addition to this, he also hired 9274 volunteers to guard various passes. This huge defensive force made Yan Botao full of confidence, believing that it was enough to resist the invasion of any foreign enemy.
However, such a huge project naturally requires huge financial support. The completed fortifications alone cost more than two million taels of silver.
This figure seems like a huge sum even today, let alone at the time. You must know that the military expenditure allocated by Emperor Daoguang for the counteroffensive in Guangzhou was only three million taels.
Yan Botao felt that this was far from enough. He planned to raise taxes in Fujian to raise funds for the construction of more forts. This decision caused an uproar at the imperial court.
Emperor Daoguang was stingy by nature and was very dissatisfied with Yan Botao's extravagance. The military ministers of the DPRK and China also complained about Yan Botao's approach.
They fear that if other coastal provinces follow Xiamen's lead, the treasury will soon be emptied. Therefore, Emperor Daoguang issued an edict and ordered Yan Botao to reduce his troops in order to save money.
However, the Holy Purpose has become a dead letter here. He continued to go his own way, not only did he not reduce his troops, but on the contrary, he continued to expand his troops, and his military spending continued unabated.
In Yan Botao's view, national security is above all else. He even planned to build another 1,300 cannons to strengthen the firepower of the stone forts on the islands.
Just when Yan Botao was racking his brains for the next defense plan, the British fleet had quietly approached the waters of Xiamen. On the evening of August 25, 1841, the United Kingdom Expeditionary Force arrived in Xiamen, and a major war that would change the fate of China was about to break out.
Heavy artillery fire and the collapse of the defensive line
On August 26, 1841, just after dawn, the fleet of the United Kingdom Expeditionary Force began to launch a fierce attack on the Xiamen defensive line. More than a dozen United Kingdom warships lined up in a long snake formation and slowly sailed into the port of Xiamen.
In the center of the fleet were three capital ships: the Wellesley, the Blenheim, and the Meranphong. These warships were armed with the most advanced guns of the time, and their firepower was staggering.
The British attack came quickly and fiercely, and before Yan Botao and his soldiers could react, the shells were already raining down. The cannons on the Stone Wall Fort began to fire back, but were quickly suppressed by the accurate fire of the British troops.
The superiority of the British in firepower was immediately apparent. Their naval guns were long-range, powerful, and incredibly accurate. One shell after another landed accurately on the gun positions of the Qing army, blowing up one cannon after another.
The defensive line that Yan Botao had painstakingly managed was crumbling under heavy British fire. Those granite forts are as fragile as paper paste in the face of modern artillery.
In just two hours, the main artillery positions of the Qing army were completely destroyed. The British firepower was so heavy that the Qing army was simply unable to organize an effective counterattack.
Just as the battle at sea was in full swing, the British army suddenly sent a detachment of marines to land from the northern part of Xiamen Island. The force consisted of about 850 men, well-equipped and combat-ready.
As soon as the marines came ashore, they were met with stubborn resistance from the Qing army. The two sides engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat on the beach, but soon the superiority of the British army became apparent.
British soldiers were armed with advanced flintlock pistols with a fast rate of fire and high accuracy. Most of the soldiers of the Qing army were still using arquebuses, which not only had a slow rate of fire, but also had poor accuracy.
To make matters worse, the gunpowder of the Qing army was of poor quality and often had mute fire. Some soldiers had just lit the arquebus, and before they could take aim, they were hit by British bullets.
Under the double disadvantage of equipment and training, the Qing army was soon defeated and retreated. The British Marines were in a no-man's land, and soon captured the commanding heights in the northern part of Xiamen Island.
At the same time, the British fleet continued to launch heavy artillery bombardments on the city of Xiamen. The city was filled with explosions and cries, smoke billowing and blazing.
Yan Botao stood at the head of the city, watching his carefully constructed defense line crumble under the fierce offensive of the British army, and his heart was like a knife. He sent in groups of soldiers to try to stop the British advance, but they were like mantis arms for carts.
The British attack was faster than anyone expected. From the landing to the occupation of Xiamen City, the whole process took only four hours.
By the time the sun rose overhead, the United Kingdom flag was already flying high above the city of Xiamen. More than 5,000 soldiers of Yan Botao were either killed in battle or fled, and the huge city of Xiamen had fallen into the hands of the British.
The outcome of this battle shocked the entire Qing dynasty. No one expected that the Xiamen defense line, known as the world's first, could not even withstand the British army's four-hour attack.
What's even more unacceptable is that this line of defense cost more than two million taels of silver! This money was enough to feed an army of 100,000 for more than a year, but it could not even stop the British army from attacking in a morning.
Yan Botao's defeat was not only a military setback, but also a resounding slap in the face, waking up many Qing officials who were still immersed in the dream of the Celestial Empire.
Only then did they realize that the gap between China and the West in military technology had become unimaginably large. Relying only on numerical superiority and traditional fortifications, it is simply impossible to withstand the Western armies, which are equipped with modern weapons.
The fall of Xiamen marked the beginning of a new stage in the Opium War. The victory of the British army not only opened the door to Chinese mainland, but also completely destroyed the confidence of the Qing army.
From then on, when the Qing army faced the British army, it often admitted defeat psychologically before the battle began. This collapse in morale may have dealt a greater blow to the Qing Dynasty than the backwardness of military equipment.
For Yan Botao, the Battle of Xiamen was a turning point in his life. From a staunch main battle faction, he began to transform into a main peace faction.
He personally experienced the huge gap in military strength between China and the West, and deeply realized that continued resistance would only bring greater losses. From then on, he began to advocate negotiations with the United Kingdom to settle the dispute peacefully.
The Battle of Xiamen not only changed the fate of a person, but also changed the direction of a dynasty. It opened the prelude to the Qing Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline, and also became an unforgettable lesson in China's modern history.
Yan Gong turned to seek peace and protect the country
The fiasco in the Battle of Xiamen dealt a huge blow to Yan Botao. He witnessed his carefully constructed defensive line collapse in an instant under the fire of the British army, and the confidence and arrogance he had once had lost were gone.
This battle not only changed Yan Botao's view of war, but also completely subverted his perception of the balance of power between China and the West. Since then, this former main war faction has begun a painful and lengthy ideological transformation.
After the war, Yan Botao immediately submitted a detailed report of defeat to the imperial court. In the report, he unabashedly described the tragic course of the battle, as well as the overall backwardness of the Qing army in equipment and tactics.
He pointed out that the British artillery not only had a long range and great power, but also had amazing accuracy. In contrast, the artillery of the Qing army was like a water gun. This disparity cannot be bridged by numerical superiority or courage.
In the report, Yan Botao also placed special emphasis on the British army's landing combat capability. He said that the British Army's Marines were well-trained and well-equipped and could quickly organize an offensive as soon as they came ashore.
Although the Qing army was numerous, it lacked effective coordination and combat capabilities, and often neglected one or the other in the face of the British attack. This gap cannot be changed in a short period of time.
At the end of the report, Yan Botao made a proposal that shocked many: negotiate with United Kingdom to find a peaceful solution. This suggestion caused great controversy in the imperial court at the time.
Many ministers believed that Yan Botao was showing weakness and giving in to Yangyi. They insisted that if they concentrated their national forces, they would be able to defeat the United Kingdom.
But Yan Botao insisted on his opinion. He argued at the court, pointing out that continued resistance would only bring greater losses. He said that the top priority now is to buy time and learn from the advanced technology of the West, rather than blindly confronting it.
Yan Botao's view was shocking at the time. You must know that at that time, the Qing Dynasty still boasted of being the superior kingdom of the Celestial Empire, and many people simply could not accept the idea of learning from the West.
But Yan Botao saw further. He believes that only by understanding the enemy can one truly defeat the enemy. He began to reach out to captured United Kingdom officers and learn from them Western military knowledge.
During his exchanges with United Kingdom officers, Yan Botao gradually learned about the political system, economic development and scientific and technological progress of Western countries. These realizations have made him deeply worried about China's future.
He realized that the gap between China and the West goes far beyond military equipment. Politically, economically, educationally, and many other aspects, China is lagging behind for at least a century. If it is not changed in time, China will face the danger of extinction.
Based on this understanding, Yan Botao began to vigorously advocate reform in the imperial court. He advocated sending international students to study in Western countries and introducing advanced technology and management experience from the West.
At the same time, he also suggested reforming the imperial examination system and increasing the proportion of practical subjects. He believes that only by cultivating a large number of talented people who understand Western studies can China truly catch up with the West.
However, these ideas of Yan Botao did not receive widespread support in the imperial court at that time. Many conservative ministers believe that this is shaking the foundation of the country and betraying their ancestors.
In the face of all kinds of doubts and attacks, Yan Botao did not flinch. He continued to hold his point, although this made him increasingly isolated at the imperial court.
In order to promote reform, Yan Botao even did not hesitate to take risks. He was in private contact with enlightened officials and intellectuals to discuss how to advance China's modernization.
This behavior was extremely dangerous at the time. Once they are seized by the conservatives, they will be dismissed from their posts and investigated, and they may lose their lives at the worst. But Yan Botao is undaunted, he believes that for the sake of the country's future, this risk is nothing.
As time passed, Yan's views began to be recognized by more and more people. Especially after the outbreak of the Second Opium War, the Qing Dynasty suffered another crushing defeat, and more people began to realize the need for reform.
In the process, Yan Botao's role gradually changed from a failed general to a far-sighted reformer. His ideas influenced the later Westernization Movement and made important contributions to China's modernization process.
However, the wheels of history are always slow and heavy. Although Yan Botao and some people of insight had seen the seriousness of the problem, the reform process of the entire Qing Dynasty was still extremely difficult.
It was not until the fiasco of the First Sino-Japanese War that the Qing Dynasty really began a comprehensive transformation. But by then, it was already too late. Yan Botao's prophecy eventually came true, and China experienced a century of humiliation in modern history.
Looking back on Yan Botao's life, it is not difficult for us to find that his fate is actually a microcosm of modern China. From resting on one's laurels to unforgettable failures to painful reflection and reform, isn't this exactly the path that the entire Chinese nation has taken in modern history?
Yan Botao's story has left us a profound enlightenment: in the face of the great changes of the times, only by advancing with the times and having the courage to reform can we be invincible. This principle is still applicable today.