Second Opium War: Arrow Incident Begins Conflict

October 8, 1856 - Chinese officials seize the Hong Kong-registered ship Arrow beginning the Second Opium War. Fought between 1856 and 1860, the Second Opium War saw the British and French defeat the Chinese in two separate campaigns. The first involved the capture of Canton (right) and the Tianjin, while the second led to the fall of Beijing and the burning of of the Old Summer Palace. As a result of the conflict, the Western nations gained greatly expanded trading rights and territorial concessions while the Qing Dynasty lost influence leaving the nation open to the spread of European imperialism.

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