The Humen, also Bocca TigrisorBogue, 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'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 (穿鼻, pChuanbi) and Anunghoy (阿娘鞋, pAniangxie; also called 威远, pWeiyuan) on the eastern side, and Taikoktow (大角头, pDajiaotou) on the western side.[1] Since 1997, the strait has been traversed by the Humen Pearl River Bridge. Bocca Tigris was the entry to China's only trading city, Canton.
The LatinateBocca Tigris is derived from the PortugueseBoca do Tigre, which is a calque of the Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese name 虎門, literally meaning "The Tiger Gate".[2] The name Bogue is also a corruption of the Portuguese Boca.[2]
The name comes from the impression given by Tiger Island, situated about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) above the Hengdang Islands in the middle of the strait, of a tiger couchant[3] or at least of a tiger's head on its eastern side.[4][5][6] American Commodore 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".[4]
Painting inscribed Bocca Tigris by Chinese painter Sunqua, c. 1830English 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 Wei-yuan.[7] Between September 1809 and January 1810, Portuguese Navy ships based in Macau defeated a group of Chinese pirates in the Battle of the Tiger's Mouth.
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 (沙田港区): focuses on containers, chemicals, yard logistics, shoreline industry, and comprehensive trading services.
Mayong Port Area (麻涌港区): focuses on grain, vegetable oil, coal, construction materials, and break-bulk cargo.
Shajiao Port Area (沙角港区): focuses on passenger transport, leisure boating, and coastal transport and cabotage.
Chang'an Port Area (长安港区): focuses on large-scale deep-water berths and the waterfront industry.
Neihe Port Area (内河港区): focuses on traditional waterborne transport services for the Dongguan industries.
The port has 72 km2 (28 sq mi) of territorial waters and 32 km2 (12 sq mi) of jurisdictional area. The main navigation channel is 13.5 m (44 ft) deep, enough for vessels of 100,000 DWT.[8] Originally called Taiping port, the State Council approved it as an open port in 1983. It was merged with the Shatian port in June 1997 and renamed Humen port.[9]
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.
