Editing Yangtze (section)

=== Age of steam ===
{{Main|China Station}}

The ''Jardine'', the first steamship to sail the river, was built for the British firm [[Jardine Matheson Holdings|Jardine, Matheson & Co.]] in 1835. This small vessel was to carry passengers and mail between [[Lintin Island]], [[Portuguese Macau|Macao]], and [[Huangpu District, Guangzhou|Huangpu]]. However, the Chinese, draconian in their application of the rules relating to foreign vessels, were unhappy about a "fire-ship" steaming up the Canton River. The acting [[Viceroy of Liangguang]] issued an edict warning that she would be fired on if she attempted the trip.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal |last1=Headrick |first1=Daniel R. |year=1979 |title=The Tools of Imperialism: Technology and the Expansion of European Colonial Empires in the Nineteenth Century |journal=The Journal of Modern History |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=231–263 |url=http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/articles/headrick.pdf |access-date=June 19, 2011 |doi=10.1086/241899 |s2cid=144141748 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109162541/http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/articles/headrick.pdf |archive-date=January 9, 2009 }}</ref> On the ''Jardine's'' first trial run from Lintin Island the forts on both sides of the [[Bocca Tigris|Bogue]] opened fire and she was forced to turn back. The Chinese authorities issued a further warning insisting that the ship leave Chinese waters. The ''Jardine'' in any case needed repairs and was sent to [[Singapore]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Blue|first1=A.D. |year=1973 |title=Early Steamships in China |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch |volume=13 |issn=1991-7295 |pages=45–57 |url=http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4401253.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930190431/http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4401253.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-30 |url-status=live  |access-date=June 19, 2011}}</ref><br>Subsequently, [[Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston|Lord Palmerston]], the [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] decided mainly on the "suggestions" of [[William Jardine (merchant)|William Jardine]] to declare war on China. In mid-1840, a large fleet of warships appeared on the China coast, and with the first cannonball fired at a British ship, the ''Royal Saxon'', the British started the [[First Opium War|first of the Opium Wars]]. [[Royal Navy]] warships destroyed numerous shore batteries and Chinese warships, laying waste to several coastal forts along the way. Eventually, they pushed their way up north close enough to threaten the [[Forbidden City|Imperial Palace]] in [[Beijing]] itself.<ref name="auto"/>

The China Navigation Company was an early shipping company founded in 1876 in London, initially to trade up the Yangtze River from their Shanghai base with passengers and cargo. Chinese coastal trade started shortly after, and in 1883 a regular service to Australia was initiated.<ref name="auto"/>

[[File:1937 Yangtze Gorges VP8.webm|thumb|left|Yangtze River steam boats filmed in 1937]]
[[File:USSLuzonPG-7.jpg|left|thumb|[[USS Luzon (PG-47)|USS ''Luzon'']]]]