Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Canton

Battle of Canton was a battle fought in 1841 at Guangzhou, in what is now People's Republic of China. It was part of First Opium War, which ran from 1839 to 1842. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 6,000A; 2 steamers; 7 other ships against 45,000B; 4 forts.

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British sailors towing warships toward the besieged city of Canton on 24 May 1841.
British sailors towing warships toward the besieged city of Canton on 24 May 1841.. Edward H. Cree, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1841
WhereGuangzhou, People's Republic of China23.110N, 113.244E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; British East India CompanyagainstQing China
Casualties and losses15 killed; 112 woundedand1,000 killed; 1,750 wounded; 4 forts captured
Part ofFirst Opium War1839 to 1842

Where it sits in First Opium War

Battle of Kowloon, 1839Battle of Chuenpee, 1839Capture of Chusan, 1840Battle of the Barrier, 1840Battle of Canton, 1841Battle of Da'an, 1841Second Battle of Chuenpee, 1841Battle of the Bogue, 1841Battle of First Bar, 1841Battle of Whampoa, 1841Battle of Canton, 1841Battle of Amoy, 1841Battle of Chinhai, 1841Battle of Ningpo, 1842Battle of Tsekee, 1842Battle of Chapoo, 1842Battle of Woosung, 1842Battle of Chinkiang, 184218391842Battle of Canton, 1841
18 placed engagements of First Opium War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1841 (year precision)
to 30 May 1841
PlaceGuangzhou, People's Republic of China
23.110N, 113.244E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength6,000A; 2 steamers; 7 other ships45,000B; 4 forts
Casualties and losses15 killed; 112 wounded1,000 killed; 1,750 wounded; 4 forts captured; Casualties source:
Commanders
  • Yishan (official)
  • Yang Fang (general)
Battle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of GuangzhouSecond Battle of GuangzhouBattle of CantonShenzhenZhuhaiMacauQingyuanJiangmenZhaoqingHeyuanHong Kong100 km23.110N, 113.244E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 9 times between 1841 and 1938.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1841

Battle of Canton is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 448 in present-day China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4870635, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Canton (May 1841), revision 1370436115, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.