These were specific areas in China where Britain had exclusive trading rights during the 19th and early 20th centuries, following the Opium Wars.
Imagine you're at a school fair. There are many stalls selling different things, but there's one stall that only allows students from a particular club to buy items. This is similar to how British trading posts worked in China - they were exclusive 'stalls' where only the British could trade.
Opium Wars: A series of conflicts between Britain and China in the mid-19th century, largely over trade disputes and particularly the opium trade.
Treaty of Nanking: The agreement that ended the first Opium War, which included provisions for establishing British trading posts in China.
Unequal Treaties: A term used to describe any treaty made by China with Western countries during this period, which were seen as unfair and heavily favored the Western powers.
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