Humen Old Town

Humen occupies a narrow point on the Pearl River where Qing-dynasty military planners placed the outer defensive line protecting Guangzhou. The paired fortresses of Weiyuan and Sha Jiao — built and repeatedly upgraded from the 18th century — were the sites of the most significant military engagements of the First Opium War (1839-42), when British naval forces destroyed the Qing fortifications and proceeded upriver to Guangzhou.

The Opium War Museum, the primary heritage institution in Humen, covers the Lin Zexu opium-destruction campaign of 1839 (when over 1,200 tonnes of confiscated opium were publicly dissolved in saltwater and lime pits on the Humen shore) and the subsequent military conflict in substantial depth. The collection includes original Qing artillery, documents from the negotiations, and a full-scale reconstruction of the lime-pit destruction site.

Weiyuan Fort, on a small island in the Pearl River, is the better-preserved of the two principal fortifications — the original granite gun emplacements and a section of the chain barrier (designed to block British warships) have been restored and are accessible by ferry. Sha Jiao Fort, on the western shore, preserves similar artillery positions and a smaller museum.

Humen today is also known as one of China's largest wholesale-garment trading centres — the Humen clothing wholesale market complex draws buyers from across China and Southeast Asia and functions as a major node in China's domestic fashion-distribution network.