Lin Zexu, Chinese scholar and Qing dynasty official, was sent by the emperor to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to stop the illegal import of opium from the British in 1838. Lin arrived in the spring of 1839 and launched the destruction of opium in Humen, a port town, on June 3, 1839. About 1,400 tons of opium, confiscated from foreign traders, were destroyed within 23 days. The incident triggered the First Opium War.

Marking the 180th anniversary of the war, a play named after the historical figure, commissioned by the National Center for the Performing Arts and Guangzhou Dramatic Arts Centre, will be premiered at the NCPA on Dec 14 and will be staged through Dec 22.

Directed by Wang Xiaodi and written by scriptwriter Guo Qihong, the play Lin Zexu features veteran actor Pu Cunxin playing the protagonist and actress Xu Fan as Guan Shuqing, Lin's wife.

"Lin is known as an anti-opium hero but the play seeks to deliver messages beyond that. He is a symbol of China's resistance to European imperialism," says director Wang in Beijing. "The opium trade caused so much damage to the Chinese people. We want to display the history and how Lin safeguarded the dignity of the country."

Lin was born in 1785 in Fuzhou, Fujian province. His father, a teacher, gave him a strong education in Confucian philosophy.

Before the First Opium War, Lin was the governor general of Hubei province in 1837 and after the war, he was appointed as the governor general of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.

In 1850, Lin died at the age of 65 on the way to help put down the Taiping Rebellion, a revolt from the 1850s to 1860s against Qing rule that stirred social upheaval in areas on the southern banks of the Yangtze River.

The play also incorporates dance to showcase the battle scenes. Choreographed by Huang Doudou, the dance pieces employ movements of classical Chinese and contemporary dance.

"The story of Lin Zexu was adapted into a movie in 1959 of the same title. I was impressed by the battle scene when the Chinese soldiers charged into the British military with Lin at their head, riding a horse. In the play, the ambition and courage of Lin will be showcased on stage using dance movements," says Huang.

Pu and Xu, both with the Beijing People's Art Theatre, are also known for their performances in movies and TV dramas.

Chinese composer Zhao Jiping, who is known for penning the score for director Zhang Yimou's films, Red Sorghum, Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern, as well as director Chen Kaige's film, Farewell My Concubine, has written the music for the play.