Humen: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Strait in Guangdong, China}}

{{About|the strait|the town|Humen Town}}

{{Chinese|s={{linktext|虎门}}|t={{linktext|虎門}}|p=Hǔmén|w=Hu-men|psp=Hu-mun|j=Fu² mun⁴|l=The Tiger Gate|pic=Humen Bridge-1.jpg|piccap=View of the [[Humen Pearl River Bridge|Humen Bridge]] over the strait|picsize=250px}}

The '''Humen''', also '''Bocca Tigris''' or '''Bogue''', is a narrow [[strait]] in the [[Pearl River Delta]] that separates [[Shiziyang]] in the north and [[Lingdingyang]] in the south near [[Humen Town]] in China's [[Guangdong]] Province. It is the site of the [[Pearl River (China)|Pearl River]]'s discharge into the [[South China Sea]]. It contains the '''Port of Humen''' at Humen Town. The strait is formed by the islands of Chuenpi ({{lang|zh-hans|穿鼻}}, <small>[[pinyin|p]]</small>&nbsp;''Chuanbi'') and Anunghoy ({{lang|zh-hans|阿娘鞋}}, <small>[[pinyin|p]]</small>&nbsp;''Aniangxie''; also called {{lang|zh-hans|威远}}, <small>[[pinyin|p]]</small>&nbsp;''Weiyuan'') on the eastern side, and Taikoktow (大角头, <small>[[pinyin|p]]</small>&nbsp;''Dajiaotou'') on the western side.<ref>Bingham, J. Elliot (1843). ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.511770 Narrative of the Expedition to China from the Commencement of the War to Its Termination in 1842]'' (2nd ed.). Volume 2. London: Henry Colburn. p. 3.</ref> Since 1997, the strait has been traversed by the [[Humen Pearl River Bridge]]. Bocca Tigris was the entry to China's only trading city, [[Guangzhou|Canton]].

The [[Latin]]ate ''{{lang|la|Bocca Tigris}}'' is derived from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''{{lang|pt|Boca do Tigre}}'', which is a [[calque]] of the [[Chinese language|Mandarin Chinese]] and [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]] name {{lang|zh|{{linktext|虎門}}}}, literally meaning "The Tiger Gate".<ref name="taylor">Taylor 1898, p. 70</ref> The name ''Bogue'' is also a corruption of the Portuguese ''Boca''.<ref name="taylor" />

The name comes from the impression given by Tiger Island, situated about {{convert|3.2|km|abbr=on}} above the Hengdang Islands in the middle of the strait, ofatiger couchant<ref>{{cite book|last=Wathen|first=James|title=Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 and 1812,toMadras and China|date=1814|publisher=J Nichols, Son and Bentley|place=London|page=177}}</ref> or at least of a tiger's head on its eastern side.<ref name="hawks">Hawks, Francis L.; Perry, Matthew (1857). ''[https://archive.org/details/narrativeofexped05perr Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan]''. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 161.</ref><ref>Taylor 1898, p. 277</ref><ref>Bernard, William Dallas; Hall, William Hutcheon (1846). ''[https://archive.org/details/nemesisinchinac01hallgoog The Nemesis in China]'' (3rd ed.). London: Henry Colburn. p. 81.</ref> American Commodore [[Matthew C. Perry|Matthew Perry]], who later played a leading role in the [[opening of Japan]] to the West, noted that: "Although the resemblance is not at first very striking, it becomes quite obvious after examination".<ref name="hawks" />

[[File:Bocca Tigris, c. 1830.jpg|thumb|Painting inscribed ''Bocca Tigris'' by Chinese painter [[Sunqua]], c. 1830]]

[[File:Canton estuary.jpg|thumb|English map of the [[Pearl River Delta]], showing the Humen as the "Boca Tigris"]]

Because of its strategic location as the naval gateway to the city of [[Guangzhou]] (Canton), the strait was strongly fortified during the [[Qing dynasty]]. It was defended by eight forts: Shakok (Shajiao), Taikok (Dajiao), Wangtung (Hengdang), Yung-an (Yong'an), Kung-ku (Gonggu), Chen-yuan (Zhenyuan), Ching-yuan (Jingyuan), and [[Weiyuan Fort|Wei-yuan]].<ref>[[Arthur Waley|Waley, Arthur]] (1958). ''The Opium War Through Chinese Eyes''. Woking, Surrey: George Allen and Unwin. {{ISBN|0049510126}}. pp. 130, 139.</ref> Between September 1809 and January 1810, [[Portuguese Navy]] ships based in [[Portuguese Macau|Macau]] defeated a group of Chinese pirates in the [[Battle of the Tiger's Mouth]].

The first major battle of the [[First Opium War]] between the United Kingdom and China occurred at the entrance of the Humen in the [[Battle of Chuenpi|First Battle of Chuenpi]] on 3 November 1839. The British captured the Bogue forts in the [[Second Battle of Chuenpi]] on 7 January 1841 and the [[Battle of the Bogue]] on 23–26 February. The forts were recaptured on 2 April 1847 during the British [[Expedition to Canton]]. In the [[Second Opium War]], the British recaptured the forts in the [[Battle of the Bogue (1856)|1856 Battle of the Bogue]] on 12–13 November.

*Western shore: the [[Nansha, Guangzhou|Nansha District]] of Guangzhou City

*Upper and Lower Hengdang Islands ({{lang|zh-hans|横档岛}}),or North and South Wangtong Islands, in the middle of the strait

*Several Qing dynasty forts, including:

**[[Weiyuan Fort]] ({{lang|zh-hans|威远炮台}}), near Humen Town

*Nansha Pier ({{lang|zh-hans|新南沙客运港}}), in the Nansha District, {{convert|1.6|km|abbr=on}} south of the Humen Bridge

== Port of Humen ==

The Port of Humen at Humen Town serves as the port of the industrial city of Dongguan and as one of the big logistic hubs of the Pearl River Delta. It extends on the east shore of the delta beyond the strait all the way to the [[Dongjiang River]]. It is divided into five port areas:

*Shatian Port Area ({{lang|zh|沙田港区}}): focuses on containers, chemicals, yard logistics, shoreline industry, and comprehensive trading services.

*Mayong Port Area ({{lang|zh|麻涌港区}}): focuses on grain, vegetable oil, coal, construction materials, and [[Break bulk cargo|break-bulk]] cargo.

*Shajiao Port Area ({{lang|zh|沙角港区}}): focuses on passenger transport, leisure boating, and coastal transport and cabotage.

*Chang'an Port Area ({{lang|zh|长安港区}}): focuses on large-scale deep-water berths and the waterfront industry.

*Neihe Port Area ({{lang|zh|内河港区}}): focuses on traditional waterborne transport services for the Dongguan industries.

The port has {{convert|72|km2|abbr=on}} of territorial waters and {{convert|32|km2|abbr=on}} of jurisdictional area. The main navigation channel is {{convert|13.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep, enough for vessels of 100,000&nbsp;DWT.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.humenport.gov.cn/index/gqgk.html |title=港区概况 - 中国·虎门港 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=2014-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603191646/http://www.humenport.gov.cn/index/gqgk.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Originally called Taiping port, the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]] approved it as an open port in 1983. It was merged with the Shatian port in June 1997 and renamed Humen port.<ref>Yeung, Godfrey (2001). ''Foreign Investment and Socio-Economic Development: The Case of Dongguan''. New York: Palgrave. p. 97. {{ISBN|9780333978115}}.</ref>

*[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&q=China,+%E5%B9%BF%E4%B8%9C%E7%9C%81,+Guangzhou&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=0,23.133333,113.320833&ll=22.793274,113.597946&spn=0.187375,0.53833&t=h&z=11&om=0 Satellite view of Bocca Tigris on Google maps]

* {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832/Tiger Island|Tiger Island]]}}, painted by [[Clarkson Frederick Stanfield]] and engraved by [[Edward Goodall]] for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832, with a poetical illustration by [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]], ''The Pirate's Song off Tiger Island''.

{{Ports of China}}