The Convention of Chuenpi (also "Chuenpee", ) was a tentative agreement between British Plenipotentiary
Charles Elliot and Chinese Imperial Commissioner
Qishan during the
First Opium War between the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
of China. The terms were published on 20 January 1841, but both governments rejected them and dismissed Elliot and Qishan, respectively, from their positions. Foreign Secretary
Lord Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), known as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman and politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1858 and from 1859 to 1865. A m ...
stated that Elliot acquired too little while the
Daoguang Emperor believed Qishan conceded too much. Palmerston appointed Major-General
Henry Pottinger to replace Elliot, while the emperor appointed
Yang Fang to replace Qishan, along with
Yishan as General-in-Chief of Repressing Rebellion and Longwen as an assistant regional commander. Although the convention was unratified, many of the terms were later included in the
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842. It was the first of what the Chinese ...
(1842).
Background
On 20 February 1840, Foreign Secretary
Lord Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), known as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman and politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1858 and from 1859 to 1865. A m ...
instructed the joint plenipotentiaries Captain
Charles Elliot and his cousin Admiral
George Elliot to acquire the cession of at least one island for trade on the Chinese coast, amongst other terms. In November 1840, during the
First Opium War, George returned to Britain due to ill health, leaving Charles as sole plenipotentiary. In negotiations with Imperial Commissioner
Qishan, Elliot wrote on 29 December to "request a place in the outer sea, where the British can fly their flag and administer themselves, just as the Westerners do in
Macao
Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world.
Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...
."
[Mao 2016, p. 192] However, the year ended with no agreement. To force Chinese concessions, the British
captured the forts at the entrance of the
Humen strait (Bogue) on 7 January 1841, after which Qishan agreed to consider Elliot's demands. Negotiations ensued at the Bogue near Chuenpi.
[Bernard & Hall 1844, p. 134]
On 11 January, Qishan offered to "grant a place outside the estuary to lodge temporarily".
He later wrote to Elliot on 15 January, offering either
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
or
Kowloon
Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...
but not both. Elliot replied the next day, accepting Hong Kong. On 15 January, trader
James Matheson wrote to his business partner
William Jardine that Elliot arrived in Macao the night before: "I learn from him ''very confidentially'' that Ki Shen
ishanhas agreed to the British having a possession of their own outside, but objects to ceding Chuenpee; in lieu of which Captain Elliot has proposed Hong Kong".
One factor that may have led to settling on Hong Kong was the perceived ambiguity of the Chinese language. Matheson believed that when Qishan wrote "as we have granted you territory you do not now require another port", Elliot as a result gave up demands of British access to a port in northern China in the hope that he could hold Qishan to an interpretation of the Chinese characters in which the British had been ceded Hong Kong rather than just being given a trading factory there.
Terms
On 20January, Elliot issued a
circular announcing "the conclusion of preliminary arrangements" between Qishan and himself involving the following conditions:
Other terms that were agreed upon were the restoration of the islands of Chuenpi and Taikoktow to the Chinese, and the evacuation of
Zhoushan, which the
British had captured and occupied since July 1840.
[No. 19984]
. ''The London Gazette''. 3 June 1841. pp. 1423–1424. Zhoushan was returned in exchange for the release of British prisoners in
Ningbo
Ningbo is a sub-provincial city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises six urban districts, two satellite county-level cities, and two rural counties, including several islands in Hangzhou Bay and the Eas ...
who became shipwrecked on 15 September 1840 after the brig ''Kite'' struck
quicksand
Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...
en route to Zhoushan. The convention allowed the Qing government to continue collecting tax at Hong Kong, which was the main sticking point that led to the disagreement according to Lord Palmerston.
Aftermath
The forts were restored to the Chinese on 21 January in a ceremony on Chuenpi, which had been held by Captain
James Scott as ''
pro tempore
''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...
'' governor of the fort.
Commodore
Gordon Bremer, commander-in-chief of British forces in China, sent an officer to
Anunghoy (north of Chuenpi) with a letter for Chinese Admiral
Guan Tianpei, informing him of their intention to return the forts. About an hour later, Guan sent a
mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
to receive them. The British colours were hauled down and the Chinese colours were hoisted in their place, under a salute fired from
HMS ''Wellesley'', and returned by the Chinese with a salute fired from the Anunghoy batteries. The ceremony was repeated at Taikoktow. Military secretary Keith Mackenzie observed: "I never saw a
hineseman in such an ecstasy of ''chin chin''
gesture of greeting or farewell as he was, when our colours were lowered—he absolutely jumped for joy."
Two days later, Elliot dispatched the brig ''
Columbine'' to Zhoushan, with instructions to evacuate it for Hong Kong. Duplicates of these dispatches were also forwarded overland by the imperial express. At the same time, Qishan directed
Yilibu, the
viceroy of Liangjiang, to release the British prisoners at Ningbo. News of the terms was sent to England aboard the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
steamer ''Enterprise'', which left China on 23January. On the same day, the ''Canton Free Press'' published the opinion of British residents in China regarding the cession of Hong Kong:
On 26 January 1841, Commodore Bremer took formal possession of Hong Kong with the naval officers of the squadron at
Possession Point, where the
Union Jack
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags.
It is sometimes a ...
was raised, under a ''
feu de joie'' from the
Royal Marines
The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
and a
royal salute from the warships. This date is considered as the
modern founding of Hong Kong.
Banquet

On the same day as the Hong Kong ceremony, Elliot left Macao on board the steamer ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods.
Etymology
The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...
'' to meet Qishan at
Lotus Flower Hill near the Second Bar pagoda to settle the convention. 100 marines from the ''Wellesley'', ''
Druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...
'', and ''
Calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses".
Mythology
Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...
'' were embarked on board the steamer ''Madagascar'' to be Elliot's guard of honour. He was accompanied by several officers, including Lieutenant
Anthony Stransham, Captain
Thomas Herbert, and Captain
Thomas Maitland, as well as the
military band of the ''Wellesley''. As the steamers passed through the Bogue, they were saluted with three guns by the forts on both sides. The steamer returned the salute while the band played "
God Save the Queen".
[Bernard & Hall 1844, p. 137] The ships arrived too late in the evening to land, but Qishan sent a few staff who said he would be ready to receive them in the morning.
[Mackenzie 1842, pp. 35–36]
At 9 am, after boarding the steamers' boats and Chinese boats provided by Qishan, they sailed to the landing place about up a creek.
The marine guard was drawn up for Elliot, accompanied by Captain Herbert and Captain
Richard Dundas, and preceded by the band before Qishan received the party at his main tent. This was the first time in
Sino-British relations that a Chinese high official received a British representative, with a carefully selected suite, not as a "barbarian vassal" but as a plenipotentiary of standing.
[Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 152] A series of dishes were served at the luncheon for over 20 people, including the
shark's fin and
bird's nest soups. Elliot and interpreter
John Morrison later had a private meeting with Qishan, who did not sign the convention but agreed to put matters in abeyance until Zhoushan was evacuated.
In the evening, the ''Nemesis'' launched a display of rockets and fireworks "for the amusement" of Qishan on shore.
In February 1841, Qishan sent a memorial to the emperor which reached
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
on 16 February. He covered four main topics, summarised as follows:
*The forts – Located on small islands and having channels in the rear, foreign ships could easily blockade them and starve out the defenders. Canton can also be reached from other channels, not just the same route followed during peace time.
*The guns – Inadequate in number, with many obsolete and not in working order. They are placed at the front of the forts, leaving the sides undefended.
*The troops – The soldiers being used as marines are unused to ships and those normally employed for patrol duty are sometimes of poor quality.
*The
Cantonese people – Even putting aside those considered "traitors", they have generally become so used to the foreigners that they no longer regard them as vastly different people and often get along with them. A small present such as a mechanical contrivance is enough to win over most of the people.
Renewed hostilities

During the meeting on 27 January, the
Daoguang Emperor received a memorial Qishan sent on 8 January, reporting on the British capture of the Bogue forts. He instructed Qishan via the
Grand Council:
To this display of rebelliousness, the only response can be to suppress them and wipe them out. If they show no reasonableness there is no point in trying to give them orders. You are to lead the commanders and officers and spare no effort in exterminating them, to recover he lost territory
The order arrived on 9 February, but Qishan did not change course. In a memorial to the emperor on 14 February, he said he received the order "yesterday" to cover up his continued meetings with Elliot.
[Mao 2016, p. 193] In favour of a peaceful solution, Qishan defied orders to attack.
[Mao 2016, p. 194] One of the convention's terms was that the port of Canton was to be opened for trade within 10 days after the Chinese New Year, but no announcement for the opening appeared by 2 February.
Elliot and Qishan met again on 11–12 February at Shetouwan near the Bogue.
A British account described Qishan's demeanour:
There was an appearance of constraint about him, as if his mind was downcast, and his heart burdened and heavy laden. He never indeed for a moment lost his self-possession, or that dignified courtesy of manner which no people can better assume than the Chinese of rank; but there was still something undefinable in his bearing, which impressed upon all present the conviction that something untoward had happened.
After negotiating for 12 hours, they reached a preliminary agreement, but Qishan asked for 10 days before he would sign it,
which Elliot accepted.
Under pressure, Qishan had abandoned open resistance in favour of delaying tactics.
Commodore Bremer reported that at this time, Chinese troops and cannons were being mobilised around the Bogue.
When Qishan returned to Canton on 13 February, there were two documents awaiting him. The first was an edict the emperor sent on 30 January, which stated that a large army would be sent to Canton and appointed
Yang Fang as the new imperial commissioner,
Yishan as General-in-Chief of Repressing Rebellion, and Longwen as an assistant regional commander. The second was a letter from Elliot with a draft agreement, requesting to meet promptly so they could sign it together. Qishan ran out of options.
With his dismissal, he had little choice but to change tack and prepare to fight. On 16 February, Elliot reported that the British withdrew from Zhoushan and demanded that Qishan sign the agreement otherwise attacks would recommence. In an attempt to delay the British, Qishan claimed illness and needed time to recover.
The ''Nemesis'' was dispatched to Canton to receive written ratification of the convention. On 19 February, the ship returned without any reply and came under fire from North Wangtong Island in the Bogue.
Meanwhile, Qishan sent his intermediary Bao Peng to deliver a letter with a new concession that same day. Instead of lodging on "only a corner of Hong Kong", the British could "have the whole island".
He instructed Bao: "Pay attention to the situation: hand it to them if they are respectful, if they are capricious, do not give it to them."
Bao arrived in Macao later that evening, announcing Qishan's refusal to sign the treaty and demanded more time. However, Elliot responded that fair means had been exhausted. The next day, Bao returned with the letter.
The British
captured the rest of the Bogue forts on 23–26 February, which allowed them to proceed towards Canton to force the opening of trade. As the fleet advanced up the
Pearl River towards the city, they captured more forts in the
Battle of First Bar (27 February) and
Battle of Whampoa (2 March). After
capturing Canton on 18 March, the resumption of trade was announced.
Dismissals
After leaving Canton on 12 March, Qishan stood trial at the
Board of Punishments in Beijing. He faced several charges, including giving "the barbarians Hongkong as a dwelling place", to which he claimed, "I pretended to do so from the mere force of circumstances, and to put them off for a time, but had no such serious intention." The court denounced him as a traitor and sentenced him to death. But after being imprisoned for several months, he was allowed—without official rank—to deal with the British. On 21 April, Lord Palmerston dismissed Elliot, considering the concessions to be inadequate. He felt that Elliot treated his instructions as "waste paper" and dismissed Hong Kong as "a barren island with hardly a house upon it". In May 1841, Major-General
Henry Pottinger of the
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire.
It was established in 1668 and governed by the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferr ...
was appointed to replace Elliot. Pottinger was given reinforcements that enlarged the expedition to 25 warships and 12,000 men. Many of the convention's terms were later added in the
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842. It was the first of what the Chinese ...
in 1842: the cession of Hong Kong (Article 3), a six million dollar indemnity (Article 4), and both countries being on an equal footing (Article 11).
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842. It was the first of what the Chinese ...
Gallery
File:Convention of Chuenpee 2.png, Page two of the convention
File:Convention of Chuenpee 3.png, Page three
File:Convention of Chuenpee 4.png, Page four, signed by Charles Elliot
Notes
References
*Bernard, William Dallas;
Hall, William Hutcheon (1844).
Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843' (2nd ed.). London: Henry Colburn.
*Bingham, John Elliot (1843).
Narrative of the Expedition to China, from the Commencement of the War to Its Termination in 1842' (2nd ed.). Volume 1. London: Henry Colburn.
*Bingham, John 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.
*
The Chinese Repository'. Volume 10. Canton. 1841.
*
The Chinese Repository'. Volume 12. Canton. 1843.
*Courtauld, Caroline; Holdsworth, May; Vickers, Simon (1997). ''The Hong Kong Story''. Oxford University Press. .
*
Davis, John Francis (1852).
China, During the War and Since the Peace'. Volume 1. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.
*
Eitel, E. J. (1895).
Europe in China: The History of Hongkong from the Beginning to the Year 1882'. London: Luzac & Company. p. 163.
*Ellis, Louisa, ed. (1886).
Memoirs and Services of the Late Lieutenant-General Sir S. B. Ellis, K.C.B., Royal Marines'. London: Saunders, Otley, and Co. p. 148
*Hoe, Susanna; Roebuck, Derek (1999). ''The Taking of Hong Kong: Charles and Clara Elliot in China Waters''. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. .
*Le Pichon, Alain (2006). ''China Trade and Empire''. Oxford University Press. .
*Lowe, K. J. P. (1989).
Hong Kong, 26 January 1841: Hoisting the Flag Revisited. ''Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society''. Volume 29. p. 12.
*Mao, Haijian (2016). ''The Qing Empire and the Opium War''. Cambridge University Press. p. 192. .
*Mackenzie, Keith Stewart (1842).
Narrative of the Second Campaign in China'. London: Richard Bentley.
*
Martin, Robert Montgomery (1841).
Colonial Intelligence. ''The Colonial Magazine and Commercial-Maritime Journal''. Volume 5. London: Fisher Son, & Co. p. 108.
*
Martin, Robert Montgomery (1847).
China; Political, Commercial, and Social; In an Official Report to Her Majesty's Government'. Volume 2. London: James Madden.
*
Morse, Hosea Ballou (1910).
The International Relations of the Chinese Empire'. Volume 1. New York: Paragon Book Gallery.
*Ouchterlony, John (1844).
The Chinese War'. London: Saunders and Otley.
*Scott, John Lee (1842).
Narrative of a Recent Imprisonment in China After the Wreck of the Kite' (2nd ed.). London: W. H. Dalton. pp. 5, 9.
*
The United Service Journal and Naval Military Magazine'. Part 2. London: Henry Colburn. 1841.
*
Tsang, Steve (2004). ''A Modern History of Hong Kong''. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 12. .
*
Waley, Arthur (1958). ''The Opium War Through Chinese Eyes''. London: George Allen & Unwin. .
{{Authority control
1841 in China
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1841 treaties
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History of Hong Kong
History of the foreign relations of China
Hong Kong Island
Proposed treaties
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston