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The Opium War

Original title: Ya pian zhan zheng
1997 · 2 h 33 min
Directed by Xie Jin · China · Chinese Fifth Generation
DramaWarHistory

Cast

Guoan Bao Liankun Lin Sihung Lung Debra Beaumont Oliver Cotton Nigel Davenport

Credits

Written by: Mai Tianshu

Plot

The story of the Opium War between China, in the waning days of the Qing Dynasty, and the British Empire, in the 1830s, and the subsequent takeover of Hong Kong by Britain; through the eyes of the key figures, fiercely nationalistic Lin Zexu, and opportunistic British naval diplomat Charles Elliot.

Sinekatalog’s take

The Opium War (1997) is a Chinese drama directed by Xie Jin. It won Best Picture at the Golden Rooster Awards in 1997. It stars Bao Guo-an, Liankun Lin and Lung Sihung. It runs 153 minutes. It is listed here for its festival and awards record.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Awards

Ratings

IMDb: 6.5 / 10 (646 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.