Guan Tianpei was a Chinese admiral of the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

 who served in the First Opium War

First Opium War

The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

. His Chinese title was "Commander-in-Chief of Naval Forces". In 1838, he established courteous relations with British Rear-Admiral Frederick Maitland. Guan fought in the First Battle of Chuenpee

Battle of Chuenpee

The First Battle of Chuenpee was fought between British and Chinese ships at the entrance of the Bocca Tigris, China, on 3 November 1839 during the First Opium War...

 (1839), the Second Battle of Chuenpee

Second Battle of Chuenpee

The Second Battle of Chuenpee was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris, China, on 7 January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts on the islands of Chuenpee and Tycocktow. The battle led to negotiations between British Plenipotentiary Charles...

 (1841), and the Battle of the Bogue

Battle of the Bogue

The Battle of the Bogue was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris, China, on 23–26 February 1841 during the First Opium War...

 (1841). A British account described his death in the Anunghoy forts during the Battle of the Bogue on 26 February 1841:

Among these, the most distinguished and lamented was poor old Admiral Kwan, whose death excited much sympathy throughout the force; he fell by a bayonet wound in his breast, as he was meeting his enemy at the gate of Anunghoy, yielding up his brave spirit willingly to a soldier's death, when his life could only be preserved through the certainty of degradation. He was altogether a fine specimen of a gallant soldier, unwilling to yield when summoned to surrender, because to yield would imply treason.

The following day, his body was claimed by his family and a salute of minute-guns was fired from HMS Blenheim

HMS Blenheim (1813)

HMS Blenheim was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 May 1813 at Deptford Dockyard.She was placed on harbour service in 1831. In 1854/5 she saw service in the Baltic as a 60-gun steam screw...

in his honour.