A native of Fujian province, Lin Zexu was appointed Imperial Commissioner to halt rampant opium trafficking. Launching a "forcible" opium suppression campaign, he coercively confiscated and destroyed an enormous amount of opium at Humen in June 1839. Meanwhile, he went to Macao to press the Portuguese authorities for cooperation to curb the British opium trade, and the historic Sino-Portuguese meeting was held in Lian Feng Miao (Temple of the Lotus). His commanding role was crucial in the events leading up to the Sino-British animosities. After China’s defeat in the First Opium War, the hardliner was banished to remote Yili in Xinjiang. Before long, he had been rehabilitated to tackle the Taiping Rebellion, but died on his way to take up his new appointment. Posthumously, he has been well remembered on the international stage. In his honour, the United Nations designated 26 June as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In recognition of his brief visit to Macao, Lin Zexu has been revered in the prominent area of Lian Feng Miao.