Shanghai is located on the Pacific coast and in the 19th century was an important port through which Chinese foreign trade was carried out. The city came under the influence of the English colonialists, who imposed enslaving conditions of trade on China as a result of three opium wars. As a result, the country fell into semi-colonial dependence on England, the USA and France. The deterioration of the socio-economic situation of the Chinese peasants and other lower strata of society resulted in a series of uprisings against the power of the Chinese ruling dynasty and colonialists.