The Site Where Lin Zexu Blocked the Yellow River Breach

The Site Where Lin Zexu Blocked the Yellow River Breach

【The Site Where Lin Zexu Blocked the Yellow River Breach】 is located in Zhangwan Village, Niuzhuang Township. On August 2 of the 21st year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1841), the Yellow River breached, flooding the city with water over ten feet deep, and previous attempts to block the breach had failed. Lin Zexu, who was demoted and exiled after the Opium War and happened to be passing through this area, had previously served as the Henan Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Grand Canal Superintendent, and possessed extensive experience in river management. Appointed to block the breach at Zhangwan, Lin organized officials and civilians to make a concerted rescue effort. By February of the 22nd year of the Daoguang reign (1842), the dike was finally closed. Nevertheless, Lin Zexu was still sent into exile in Xinjiang. His achievements in blocking the river in Kaifeng are still praised by the people of Kaifeng to this day.