Traditional Chinese 虎門 Postal Hu-mun Hanyu Pinyin | Simplified Chinese 虎门 Literal meaning The Tiger Gate Wade–Giles Hu-men | |
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The Humen, known historically by Europeans as the Bocca Tigris or Bogue, is a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta that separates Shiziyang in the north and Lingdingyang in the south near Humen Town in China's Guangdong Province. It is the site of the Pearl River's discharge into the South China Sea. It contains the Port of Humen at Humen Town. The strait is formed by the islands of Chuenpi (穿鼻, Chuanbi) and Anunghoy (阿娘鞋, Aniangxie; also called 威远, Weiyuan) on the eastern side, and Taikoktow (大角头, Dajiaotou) on the western side. Since 1997, the strait has been traversed by the Humen Pearl River Bridge.
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Name
The Latinate Bocca Tigris is derived from the Portuguese Boca do Tigre, which is a calque of the Chinese and Cantonese name 虎門, literally meaning "The Tiger Gate". The name Bogue is also a corruption of the Portuguese Boca. The name comes from the hill-tops or a rock said to resemble a tiger's head on the eastern side of Tiger Island, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) above the Hengdang Islands in the middle of the strait. American Commodore Matthew Perry, who later played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West, noted that: "Although the resemblance is not at first very striking, it becomes quite obvious after examination".
History
Because of its strategic location as the naval gateway to the city of Guangzhou (Canton), the strait was strongly fortified during the Qing dynasty. It was defended by eight forts: Shakok, Taikok, Wantung, Yung-an, Kung-ku, Chen-yuan, Ching-yuan, and Wei-yuan. The first major battle of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and China occurred at the entrance of the Humen in the First Battle of Chuenpi on 3 November 1839. The British captured the Bogue forts in the Second Battle of Chuenpi on 7 January 1841 and the Battle of the Bogue on 23–26 February. The forts were recaptured on 2 April 1847 during the British Expedition to Canton. In the Second Opium War, the British recaptured the forts in the 1856 Battle of the Bogue on 12–13 November.
Geography
Port of Humen
The Port of Humen at Humen Town serves as the port of the industrial city of Dongguan and as one of the big logistic hubs of the Pearl River Delta. It extends on the east shore of the delta beyond the strait all the way to the Dongjiang River. It is divided into five port areas:
The port has 72 km2 (28 sq mi) of territorial waters and 32 km2 (12 sq mi) of jurisdictional area. The main navigation channel is 13.5 m (44 ft) deep, enough for vessels of 100,000 DWT. Originally called Taiping port, the State Council approved it as an open port in 1983. It was merged with the Shatian port in June 1997 and renamed Humen port.