Lin Zexu: Beyond the Humen Opium Destruction
This episode journeys deep into Ili, Xinjiang, tracing the marks Lin Zexu left in his years of exile. Through the voices of historians and water engineers, it recounts how he threw himself into the building of a vital waterway—later honoured as the “Lin Gong Canal”—and took part in the demanding survey of 600,000 mu of land.
The route also leads to qanat villages that still draw on ancient methods and to the rice fields of Aksu, looking back on Lin’s efforts to spread agricultural techniques and, through steady work, improve lives on the frontier. The camera moves between modern hydraulic projects and historical sites, bearing out his foresight in “strengthening Xinjiang and securing the border”, and the deep bond he forged with the people.
