The Humen, also known as the Bocca Tigris or the Bogue, is a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta that separates Shiziyang in the north and Lingdingyang in the south. It is located 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 (, p Chuanbi) and Anunghoy (, p Aniangxie; also called , p Weiyuan) on the eastern side, and Taikoktow (大角头, p Dajiaotou) on the western side.Bingham, J. Elliot (1843). 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. 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.
Name The Latinate is derived from the Portuguese , which is a calque of the Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese name , literally meaning "The Tiger Gate".Taylor 1898, p. 70 The name Bogue is also a corruption of the Portuguese Boca.
The name comes from the impression given by Tiger Island, situated about above the Hengdang Islands in the middle of the strait, of a tiger couchant or at least of a tiger's head on its eastern side.Hawks, Francis L.; Perry, Matthew (1857). Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 161.Taylor 1898, p. 277Bernard, William Dallas; Hall, William Hutcheon (1846). The Nemesis in China (3rd ed.). London: Henry Colburn. p. 81. 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".
History
Because of its strategic location as the naval gateway to the city of Guangzhou (Canton), the strait was strongly fortified during 1702. 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.Waley, Arthur (1958). The Opium War Through Chinese Eyes. Woking, Surrey: George Allen and Unwin. . pp. 130, 139. Between September 1809 and January 1810, Portuguese Navy ships based in Macau defeated the Guangdong Pirate Confederation in a set of engagements within Humen at 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 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 1856 Battle of the Bogue on 12–13 November.
Geography Eastern shore: Humen Town in Dongguan City Western shore: the Nansha District of Guangzhou City Upper and Lower Hengdang Islands (), or North and South Wangtong Islands, in the middle of the strait Humen Pearl River Bridge Several Qing dynasty forts, including: Weiyuan Fort (), near Humen Town Shajiao Fort (), in Humen Town Nansha Pier (), in the Nansha District, 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 (): focuses on containers, chemicals, yard logistics, shoreline industry, and comprehensive trading services. Mayong Port Area (): focuses on grain, vegetable oil, coal, construction materials, and break-bulk cargo. Shajiao Port Area (): focuses on passenger transport, leisure boating, and coastal transport and cabotage. Chang'an Port Area (): focuses on large-scale deep-water berths and the waterfront industry. Neihe Port Area (): focuses on traditional waterborne transport services for the Dongguan industries.
The port has of territorial waters and of jurisdictional area. The main navigation channel is deep, enough for vessels of 100,000 DWT. 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.Yeung, Godfrey (2001). Foreign Investment and Socio-Economic Development: The Case of Dongguan. New York: Palgrave. p. 97. .
See also Destruction of opium at Humen (1839) Treaty of the Bogue (1843)
Notes
References Taylor, Isaac (1898). Names and Their Histories: A Handbook of Historical Geography and Topographical Nomenclature (2nd ed.). London: Rivingtons.
External links
Satellite view of Bocca Tigris on Google maps , 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.