Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Canton

Battle of Canton was a battle fought on 18 March 1841 at Guangzhou, in what is now China. It was part of First Opium War, which ran from 1839 to 1842. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 9 ships against 5 forts.

See it on the globe Read the article

Sketch of the naval operations before Canton, 18 March 1841.
Sketch of the naval operations before Canton, 18 March 1841.. Unclear, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought18 March 1841
WhereGuangzhou, China23.110N, 113.244E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; British East India CompanyagainstQing China
Casualties and losses7 killedand400 casualties; 123 guns 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

Date18 March 1841
PlaceGuangzhou, China
23.110N, 113.244E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength9 ships5 forts
Casualties and losses7 killed400 casualties; 123 guns captured
Commanders
  • Qishan (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 8 times between 1841 and 1929.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1841

Battle of Canton is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 339 in present-day People's Republic of China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4870632, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Canton (March 1841), revision 1370436108, 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.