Battle of the Barrier facts for kids

The Battle of the Barrier was a fight between British and Chinese forces. It happened on August 19, 1840, at the border of Macao and the Chinese mainland. This battle was part of the First Opium War.

Macao is a peninsula connected to a larger island by a narrow strip of land called an isthmus. This strip was about 100 meters wide and 1.2 kilometers long. A wall called the Barrier was built across this land in 1573. It marked the border of Macao.

Quick facts for kids Battle of the Barrier
Part of the First Opium War
View of the Barrier Gate on the isthmus connecting the Macao Peninsula to the mainland (published 1844)
Date 19 August 1840 Location Macao, China Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom British East India Company	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Henry Smith	Yi Zhongfu
Strength
2 sloops 1 frigate 1 steamer 1 transport ship 380 troops (land force)	2,000 troops 8 junks
Casualties and losses
4 wounded	50–60 killed 100–120 wounded

Why Did the Battle of the Barrier Happen?

On August 6, 1840, a British man named Reverend Vincent Stanton was swimming in Macao. Chinese soldiers took him, which made the British community very upset. This event led to the battle.

How Did the Battle Unfold?

A map showing where the battle took place.

On August 18, 1840, several British ships arrived near Macao. These included the steamer Enterprise, HMS Druid, and the transport ship Nazareth Shah. The Nazareth Shah carried a group of soldiers called Bengal Volunteers.

The next morning, two more British ships, HMS Hyacinth and HMS Larne, moved towards the Barrier Gate. The Bengal Volunteers boarded the Enterprise. Nine boats full of marines and sailors followed the larger ships.

The British ships, including the Hyacinth, Larne, and Enterprise, attacked the barrier. They positioned themselves in Fisherman's Bay, as close to the shore as they could get. They started firing at a Chinese battery (a place with many cannons) about 600 meters away. The Chinese cannons fired back. This cannon fight lasted for an hour, with over 600 shots fired.

The Chinese army at the Barrier Gate had about 2,000 soldiers. Yi Zhongfu, a Chinese official, was in charge of these troops in Macao. Chinese reinforcements came from both the north and the south to support their positions. The Portuguese, who controlled Macao, stayed neutral and did not join the fight.

A British officer later wrote that the Chinese ships, called junks, were stuck in the shallow water. Their cannons could not aim at the British ships. However, some large British cannonballs flew over the land and hit the junks, surprising the people on board.

In less than an hour, the Chinese cannons stopped firing. British soldiers then landed on the shore. This landing force included 110 marines, 90 sailors, and 180 Bengal Volunteers. They formed a group of 380 soldiers. A cannon from the Druid was placed on the beach. It fired along the Chinese positions, causing a lot of damage.

By 5:00 pm, the Chinese forces were completely defeated and running away. The British then set fire to the Chinese barracks (soldier living quarters) and tents. Later that evening, the British soldiers returned to their ships.

What Happened After the Battle?

After some talks, Reverend Stanton was set free on December 12, 1840. This happened because Commissioner Qishan ordered his release.

About a year later, the Chinese rebuilt their defenses. They built a new fort called Latashi, about one kilometer north of the Barrier Gate. However, the Portuguese later captured this fort in August 1849.

Images for kids

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  A map showing where the battle took place.