ABOUT LIN ZEXU
Chinese scholar, politician and official of the Qing dynasty. He was known for his role in the events leading up to the first Opium War, which lasted from 1839 to 1842.
In 1811, he gained admission to the Hanlin Academy, a school for elite scholars.
His former home in Fuzhou's historic Sanfang-Qixiang district is open to the public.
His father, Lin Binri, was a government official. He was the second son in the family.
In 1839, he wrote a memorial to Queen Victoria , urging her to end the opium trade.
