222Meridian Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 One year ago David Cameron went to China on 10th Nov 2010. Controversy came from the poppy he wore at that time, because poppy is related to the drug of opium and Britain started off the Opium War with China in the 19th Century. China's government warned him that poppy would remind China's humiliation brought by the Opium Wars, but David Cameron wore it all the time whilst visiting Beijing. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1328311/David-Cameron-rejects-China-request-remove-offensive-poppies.html Poppy isn't a wild flower in anywhere of China. The Chinese usually first approach to this name of flower in history lesson, if their school teaches the Opium War history. However, they usually don't have any ideas of how a poppy looks like. Opium War occured in 2 phases. Britain started off the first opium war in 1839 and Britain started off the Second Opium War together with France to invade China and ended in 1860. Poppy's fruit is the source of Opium (drug). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_War A few years ago before I knew the meaning of poppies to the British from the Flander's poem as well as the fundraising for Legions, I used to think the poppies worn whilst mourning war heros mean that they're also remembering the glorious victory of defeating China in the Opium Wars. I didn't know that the red poppy is only 1 of the hurdreds poppy species called corn/Flander/remembrance poppy. This red poppy cannot give anything to produce opium. Opium has to be come from opium poppies, which cannot be planted in Europe. It is green in colour all around and has no red at all! It also has a huge fruit so it looks so differently to the red poppy. It's a shame that no China or UK media mentioned about the species difference in the news last year, so did David Cameron that he could prevent the controversy by stressing this or to avoid visiting China in November. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy Chinese people in Sheffield who don't know this botanic/scientific fact may think that poppies worn by the British is a symbol of conquering China/ remembering its victory in the Opium Wars. Remembrance Day only remembers British soldiers 'who fought for this country', but does not remember civilian/foreign soldiers killed in the war in and out of UK by British or foreign soldiers. I do know there're civilian abroad killed by the British soldiers, including some but not many Chinese during the Opium Wars, not included in the Remembrance Day. How about the Americans including the emigrated Brits during the American Independance War? My English friend said to me the people killed by British soldiers are baddies abroad, and the Chinese killed in the Opium Wars were baddies. That's offensive! I forgive him cause he just have no knowledge about the Opium Wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewheeldave Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Chinese people in Sheffield who don't know this botanic/scientific fact may think that poppies worn by the British is a symbol of conquering China/ remembering its victory in the Opium Wars. 2 minutes research on the internet would soon establish the facts though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azazel666 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Are you alright? Chinese people should read up and check the facts if they want to live here. End of, surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Nothing to do with China. Flanders, WW2 the corn poppy was one of the only plants that grew on the battlefield It thrives in disturbed soil, which was abundant on the battlefield due to intensive shelling. During the few weeks the plant blossomed, the battlefield was coloured blood red, not just from the red flower that grew in great numbers but also from the actual blood of the dead soldiers that lay scattered and untended to on the otherwise barren battlegrounds. Source of Info (apart from my memory) Now you're informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagel Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 The poppy associated with the Opium Wars is Papaver somniferum, the source of opium. The poppy associated with World War One is Papaver rhoeas, the common field poppy which grew where all the ground had been churned up by bombardment of the trenches. Two different species, two different histories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullerboY Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Who gives a monkeys about the chinese all they did for us was ruining our eating habits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj.scuba Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Does anybody seriously know any Chinese person living or staying in the UK that thinks the wearing of poppies coincidentally around the time of Armistice Day and Rememberance Sunday, is in fact a symbol of conquerign China? Anybody? Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey19 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thousands of Chinese were killed in WW1 whilst working for the British and allied forces. The poppy recognises their sacrifice and service also to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Does anybody seriously know any Chinese person living or staying in the UK that thinks the wearing of poppies coincidentally around the time of Armistice Day and Rememberance Sunday, is in fact a symbol of conquerign China? Anybody? Seriously? In England I can't see it causing any conflict but you'd think when visiting China some sympathy and respect would have been nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
222Meridian Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Does anybody seriously know any Chinese person living or staying in the UK that thinks the wearing of poppies coincidentally around the time of Armistice Day and Rememberance Sunday, is in fact a symbol of conquerign China? Anybody? Seriously? In 2008 I met a guy from China who just arrived in West Midlands to study English. He asked his English teacher about what the people were doing on 11/11 and he got furious after the explaination. Firstly he (and so does many Chinese) doesn't know what this red paper flower is called, in English or Chinese language. Then, when someone informed him its "Poppy", then he looks it up in the English-Chinese Dictionary. The Chinese word of "Poppy" is more likely to be only heard in Chinese history lesson for the topic of Opium War. No dictionary or people stress the difference between 2 kinds of poppies and 2 histories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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