Silk Silver Opium

Written & narrated by Michael Pembroke

Length

11h 36m

Silk Silver Opium not only tells the fascinating stories of silk and tea, porcelain, silver and opium, missionaries, mercenaries and trade, but also what became inevitable – war and humiliation. Much about China's modern relationship with the West is the product of its past interactions, conflicts, victories and humiliations. The South China Sea was the place from where the ultimately destructive European sailing ships arrived. The Ryukyu Island chain was the place from where marauding Japanese pirates preyed mercilessly on China's east coast ports. Taiwan was where anti-Qing rebels established a stronghold in the 17th century. The story of Imperial China's trading relationship with the West is a powerful tale, with clear implications for the future.