First Battle of the Taku Forts

20 May 1858, Taku Forts, mouth of the Peiho

Anglo-French victory; Treaty of Tientsin

To bring pressure on Peking, the allies took their gunboats north to the mouth of the Peiho, guarded by the Taku Forts. When the Qing would not negotiate, British and French gunboats steamed over the bar and bombarded the forts at close range, and landing parties took them in about two hours. The gunboats went on up the river to Tientsin, where the Qing signed treaties opening more ports and allowing foreign envoys to live in Peking.