Liugong Island, Weihai – The Unsinkable Battleship

The Beiyang Navy Admiral’s Office, also known as the Water Master Admiral’s Yamen, is situated in the western central part of Liugong Island. Facing south and backed by hills and the sea, the building is a single-story structure typical of Qing Dynasty architecture, constructed with brick and wood. The complex covers approximately 4,000 square meters and includes a series of halls arranged along a central axis, surrounded by a perimeter wall.

At the center of the compound is the main gate, inscribed with “海军公所,” written by Li Hongzhang. Flanking the gate are corner towers and side gates, used for ceremonies and musical performances. To the southwest, there is a two-story lookout tower. Inside the compound, the main halls are arranged from south to north as the Ceremonial Hall, Admiral’s Hall, and Sacrificial Hall. Auxiliary and side rooms, totaling 68, served various functions such as offices for officers, foreign instructors, and other naval personnel.

In the second courtyard, there is an underground water storage tank with a capacity of about 300 cubic meters, featuring two access points covered with iron lids. During the Japanese and British occupations, the building suffered damage and modifications, including the addition of a sailors’ club by the British on the eastern side of the first courtyard.

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the building was used by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. It underwent major repairs from 1978 to 1984 and was handed over to local cultural heritage authorities in April 1985. The main hall now houses exhibits on the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, including displays on naval equipment, Beiyang Navy history, portraits of naval officers, ship models, the Battle of Weihai, and artifacts related to the war. By the end of 2002, the site featured 11 exhibition halls, including a memorial to Admiral Ding Ruchang.

Ding Ruchang’s Residence, now the “Ding Ruchang Memorial Hall,” was built in 1889 and is located about 200 meters east of the Beiyang Navy Admiral’s Office. This brick and wood structure faces south and covers 7,000 square meters. The layout resembles Ding Ruchang’s ancestral home in Wang Langzhong Village, Chaoxian, Anhui Province, consisting of three courtyard sections: left, middle, and right. The western courtyard served as private quarters, the eastern courtyard housed attendants, and the central courtyard was used for Ding’s office, residence, and reception area.

A notable feature of the residence is a century-old wisteria vine, planted by Ding Ruchang himself. Although the original trunk has withered, new branches continue to thrive, blooming profusely each May with fragrant flowers. After the formation of the Beiyang Navy in 1888, Ding Ruchang lived here with his family for over six years, earning the nickname “Little Ding Gong Mansion.”

Liugong Island is home to six Qing Dynasty-era naval defense forts from the Beiyang Fleet period. These forts are named Huangdao Fort, Majingzi (also known as “Behind the Office”) Fort, Qiding Mountain Fort, Yingmendong Fort, Nanzui Fort, and Donghong Fort. Strategically positioned, they correspond with forts on the northern and southern shores of Weihai Bay, controlling the two sea entrances to the bay. Designed by German engineer Hanaghen, these forts are interconnected through a network of underground tunnels, soldier barracks, and ammunition depots.

Constructed using granite and reinforced with cement, the forts are known for their solid construction and meticulous craftsmanship. The design was practical and robust, ensuring the forts could withstand heavy use and provide effective defense.

The Beiyang Navy Iron Pier, located in the southwestern part of Liugong Island, was built in 1889 during the 15th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign. It served as a docking point for the Beiyang Fleet’s warships. The pier’s supporting columns were made of thick iron plates nailed into square columns, each with a diameter of four to five feet and a length of five to six yards. These columns were filled with cement to create a rock-like solidity and driven deep into the seabed.

In 1915, the pier was reconstructed with an iron frame on top, extending 205 meters in length and 6.9 meters in width, with a water depth of 7 meters. By 1935, the iron plates had corroded, prompting the Weihaiwei Management Office, in collaboration with the Chinese Navy, local gentry, and the British Navy, to form a committee to repair the pier. The rebuilt pier could accommodate ten-thousand-ton ships at high tide. In 1953, the Weihai Municipal Government undertook further repairs, replacing the rusted iron plates, columns, and frames with high-quality steel. In 1971, a solid “T”-shaped extension bridge was added to the original structure. Today, the pier remains in use by the People’s Navy.

The Jiawu War Memorial Hall, located approximately 300 meters east of the Liugong Island tourist dock, is a comprehensive memorial dedicated to the tragic history of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). The memorial hall stands 18 meters tall and features a unique design, resembling several warships colliding and floating on the sea. An imposing 15-meter statue of a Beiyang Fleet officer integrates seamlessly with the structure. Covering an area of 1.42 hectares and with a building area of 8,900 square meters, the memorial was constructed in 1993 through a collaboration between the Liugong Island Management Committee and Guangdong Heyuan Huaguan Co., Ltd., with a total investment exceeding 60 million yuan. It opened to the public in June 1995.

Inside, the memorial hall houses nine exhibition halls: the Foyer, the Formation of the Beiyang Fleet, the Summer Palace Naval Academy, the Battle of Pungdo, the Battle of Pyongyang, the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the Fall of the Lushun Base, the Bloody Battle of Weihai, and the Epilogue Hall. Utilizing a mix of sculpture, painting, and advanced sound and light technologies, the exhibits vividly recreate the history of the Beiyang Fleet from its establishment to its ultimate demise.

The China Jiawu War Museum, designed by Professor Peng Yigang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was completed and opened in 2008. With a building area of 7,622 square meters, the museum’s core exhibit is “National Tragedy: 1894-1895 – The True History of the Jiawu War.” This exhibit is divided into four sections: “China and Japan Before the War,” “Japan Opens the War Pandora’s Box,” “National Humiliation and Resistance,” and “A Long-Lasting Alarm Bell.”

The museum’s exhibition space spans over 4,500 square meters and showcases more than 500 historical photographs, over 300 precious cultural relics, and more than 100 sets of auxiliary exhibits. It also features a wealth of oil paintings, sculptures, and other art pieces. This comprehensive exhibition offers a detailed and immersive portrayal of the Sino-Japanese War, providing valuable insights into this significant historical event.

Liugong Temple, situated approximately 300 meters east of the tourist dock on Liugong Island, lies on the north side of Dinggong Road. Legend has it that during the Han Dynasty, Liu Gong and his wife rescued many shipwrecked sailors at sea. Grateful fishermen constructed a temple on the sunny slope in the middle of the island, where statues of Liu Gong and his wife were enshrined, thus giving rise to Liugong Temple. Over the years, passing ships often stopped here, and sailors disembarked to pray for safety. In 1889, Li Hongzhang, a statesman of the Beiyang government, and Zhang Wenxuan, the commander of Liugong Island’s garrison, donated funds to renovate Liugong Temple. However, in 1898, during the British lease of Weihaiwei and Liugong Island, the statues of Liu Gong and his wife were relocated to Beigou Village outside the island.

In 1994, as part of tourism development efforts, the Liugong Island Management Committee invested over 4 million yuan to rebuild Liugong Temple on an area covering 6,000 square meters. The architecture follows a traditional Chinese courtyard layout resembling Qing Dynasty style, featuring a main hall, side halls, a bell and drum tower, and an archway.

Established in 1992 and approved by the National Forestry Department, Liugong Island National Forest Park covers an area of 269 hectares, accounting for 74% of Liugong Island’s total area. The forested area spans 222.67 hectares, boasting an impressive forest coverage rate of 85%. The park is dominated by over 60 species of plants, primarily featuring Korean pine, with lush vegetation and diverse wildlife including spotted deer.

Within the park, visitors can explore numerous attractions such as six Qing Dynasty forts, the Beiyang Navy Martyrs Monument, Liugong Spring, a zoo, the Sea-view Pavilion, Wuhua Stone, a spotted deer enclosure, a fishing platform, and the Listening to Waves Pavilion. These sites provide not only scenic beauty but also historical and cultural insights into the island’s past.

Christ Church on Liugong Island is located along Denggong Road and was constructed in the early 20th century by the Christian Missionary Alliance. Together with its ancillary buildings, it covers an area of over 200 square meters. Originally used primarily by foreigners and the British military stationed on the island, the church is built in a European style with stone masonry. It exhibits slight Gothic architectural influences, particularly noticeable in the shape of its windows. Compared to other British lease buildings, Christ Church stands out for its distinctiveness and representative architectural style.

The China Golf Museum, inaugurated in May 2012, is divided into indoor exhibition halls and outdoor archaeological sites. The indoor exhibition hall covers an area of 1,960 square meters and showcases a comprehensive collection of antique golf clubs, equipment, golf literature, stamps, postcards, and historical documents related to the origin and development of golf globally. The museum vividly presents the evolution of golf through different periods.

The outdoor archaeological site features the restored Liugong Island Golf Course from the British lease period, adhering to the original links style. The course includes nine international standard holes with a total length of 3,029 meters. This part of the museum faithfully preserves the atmosphere and layout of the historical golf course.

The Rare Animal Zoo of Liugong Island is situated in the western part of Liugong Island National Forest Park, where it enjoys shelter from the wind and ample sunlight amidst lush vegetation. Spanning an area of 30,000 square meters, this zoo is a prominent attraction featuring several specialized habitats:

• Giant Panda Pavilion: Completed on September 30, 2010, and opened to the public on November 5 of the same year, the Giant Panda Pavilion houses a pair of national treasures named “Zhuling” and “Ningning.” These giant pandas relocated from the Bifengxia Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya’an, Sichuan Province. The pavilion showcases a strong Qiang ethnic style and includes both indoor and outdoor activity spaces. It also features essential facilities such as a panda hospital, panda kitchen, and soundproof room to ensure the well-being of these beloved pandas.
• Formosan Sika Deer and Long-haired Mountain Goat Pavilion: Opened on May 28, 2011, this pavilion is equipped with underfloor heating systems and boasts amenities like rockeries, ponds, an animal hospital, and monitoring rooms. It provides a nurturing environment for Formosan sika deer and long-haired mountain goats, supporting their healthy growth on Liugong Island.
• Elk Pavilion: Established on August 2, 2011, the Elk Pavilion houses three national treasure-level rare animals—elks—from the Jiangsu Dafeng National Elk Nature Reserve, China’s largest elk breeding area. This marks the first introduction of elks to Liugong Island, enhancing the diversity of rare species on the island.

The Dragon King Temple, also known as Dinggong Shrine, is located 100 meters west of the Beiyang Fleet Admiral’s Office. Originally constructed towards the end of the Ming Dynasty and later refurbished during the late Qing Dynasty for coastal defense purposes, Liugong Island became a crucial base for the Beiyang Fleet and Beiyang Garrison. The temple is built in a brick-and-wood structure with a courtyard layout typical of a traditional Chinese temple. It consists of the front hall (inverted hall), east and west side rooms, and the main hall, totaling 14 rooms across two courtyards and covering an area of 1,700 square meters including the temple’s front stage.

Inside the main hall, the central altar is dedicated to the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, flanked by night demons and turtles. The east and west walls are adorned with murals depicting stories from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and “Investiture of the Gods.” After the First Sino-Japanese War, the shrine was rededicated to Ding Ruochang, hence its renaming to Dinggong Shrine. Within the shrine, two stone tablets commemorate significant figures: one honoring Admiral Ding Ruochang with the inscription “柔远安迩 (Gentle from afar, secure nearby),” and the other honoring General Zhang Wenxuan, the commander of the garrison stationed on the island, with the words “治军爱民 (Govern the military with love for the people).” Both tablets were erected by the local merchants and gentry of Liugong Island in the 16th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (1890).

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