Today's powerful and constantly growing China was not always like this. A major event in history from the mid-1800s that we all seem to have forgotten was the Opium Wars. What really caused the Opium War was when China wanted to end all opium trade with the British. China's geography was like a fence. This isolation gave the Chinese the feeling that their country was prestigious and isolated from the rest of the world. With deserts and the Himalayas running along most of the border, it was extremely difficult to cross one of the most dangerous mountain ranges in the world and a few other scorching deserts with the little transportation they had at home. this time. The only route by which merchants could enter the country was the southeastern coast of China, where most of the prosperous cities resided. What led China to become vain was because they had an abundance of goods that most countries in the world wanted. In the 1760s-1830s, China was famous for its porcelain (rich Europeans loved it), its silk and of course its tea. Since this eastern powerhouse's products were so popular, there were only a few things that interested them. It seemed that tea was a drug to Europeans because to them it was so addictive that they would do anything to get more and more of it. The only things worth trading with the Chinese were gingko (a type of plant), shark fins, a type of soft wood (used for incense), and silver. As the demand for tea increased, Britain gradually found itself running out of money with which to trade and was desperate for what China was looking for. The British then turned to the opium trade. China was very particular about its opium. There was a certain type of manufacturing they wanted, it was a compact ball in the middle of paper...... things like this: pay 6 million dollars for all the opium lost in Great Britain. Britain, pay $3 million to merchants, release all British prisoners, make Hong Kong Island a British colony, the British would withdraw all soldiers and troops from ports, open five new trading ports, and opium had yet to be marketed. It was a truly bitter fall for China. Basically, they had to pay for their own war totaling $21 million and the opium trade continued, without even being stopped. I think Britain imposing these conditions was an act of karma on China's part. Once the five new trading ports opened, China had to learn how to trade with the rest of the world. This is how China became what it is today: rich, powerful and vast. Basically, it was a slap in the face for the British. The start of this war took place when China wanted to end all trade with the British containing opium..