Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Macao Fort

Battle of Macao Fort was a battle fought on 4 January 1857 at Pearl River, in what is now China. It was part of Second Opium War, which ran from 1856 to 1860. The recorded result: Inconclusive. Recorded strength: 4 sloops; 3 pinnaces; 1 gig; 1 cutter against 20 junks (many armed with stinkpots); 30+ row boats.

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Plan of Boat Action, 4 January 1857.
Plan of Boat Action, 4 January 1857.. Kennedy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought4 January 1857
WherePearl River, China23.070N, 113.258E
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandagainstQing China
Casualties and losses1 killed; 6 woundedandUnknown
Part ofSecond Opium War1856 to 1860

Where it sits in Second Opium War

Battle of Canton, 1856Capture of the French Folly Fort, 1856Battle of the Bogue, 1856Battle of the Pearl River Forts, 1856Battle of Macao Fort, 1857Battle of Escape Creek, 1857Battle of Fatshan Creek, 1857Battle of Canton, 1857Battle of Taku Forts, 1858Battle of Taku Forts, 1859Battle of Taku Forts, 1860Battle of Zhangjiawan, 1860Battle of Palikao, 186018561860Battle of Macao Fort, 1857
13 placed engagements of Second Opium War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date4 January 1857
PlacePearl River, China
23.070N, 113.258E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength4 sloops; 3 pinnaces; 1 gig; 1 cutter20 junks (many armed with stinkpots); 30+ row boats
Casualties and losses1 killed; 6 woundedUnknown
Commanders
Battle of Macao FortBattle of Macao FortBattle of GuangzhouBattle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of CantonCapture of the French Folly FortBattle of CantonShenzhenZhuhaiFoshanMacauQingyuanJiangmenZhaoqingHeyuan100 km23.070N, 113.258E
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 1857

Battle of Macao Fort 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 Q55605035, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Macao Fort, revision 1370448442, 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.