Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, nineteenth century

Battle of Canton

Battle of Canton was a battle fought on 28 December 1857 at Guangzhou, in what is now People's Republic of China; it lasted 3 days. It was part of Second Opium War, which ran from 1856 to 1860. The recorded result: Franco-British victory. Recorded strength: 5,679; Several warships; Artillery batteries on Dutch Folly and nearby islands against 30,000.

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Einnahme u. Bombardement von Canton in China, durch die engl. franz. Armee den 28 Dezember 1857.
Einnahme u. Bombardement von Canton in China, durch die engl. franz. Armee den 28 Dezember 1857.. Carl Lancedelli (publisher), Jac. Loder (printer of plates), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought28 December 1857lasted 3 days
WhereGuangzhou, People's Republic of China23.127N, 113.258E
OutcomeFranco-British victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; Second French EmpireagainstQing China
Casualties and losses15 killed; 113 woundedand200–650 casualties (est.)
Part ofSecond Opium War1856 to 1860

Where it sits in Second Opium War

Battle of Canton, 1856Capture of the French Folly Fort, 1856Battle of the Bogue, 1856Battle of the Pearl River Forts, 1856Battle of Macao Fort, 1857Battle of Escape Creek, 1857Battle of Fatshan Creek, 1857Battle of Canton, 1857Battle of Taku Forts, 1858Battle of Taku Forts, 1859Battle of Taku Forts, 1860Battle of Zhangjiawan, 1860Battle of Palikao, 186018561860Battle of Canton, 1857
13 placed engagements of Second Opium War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date28 December 1857
to 31 December 1857
PlaceGuangzhou, People's Republic of China
23.127N, 113.258E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength5,679; Several warships; Artillery batteries on Dutch Folly and nearby islands30,000
Casualties and losses15 killed; 113 wounded200–650 casualties (est.)
Commanders
Battle of CantonBattle of CantonSecond Battle of GuangzhouBattle of CantonBattle of CantonBattle of CantonCapture of the French Folly FortBattle of CantonShenzhenZhuhaiMacauQingyuanJiangmenZhaoqingHeyuanHong Kong100 km23.127N, 113.258E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 9 times between 1841 and 1938.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1857

Battle of Canton is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 448 in present-day China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q588648, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Canton (1857), revision 1370436104, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.