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The Liugong Island Memorial Place for the Anti-Japanese War of 1894-1895 is situated on the Liugong Island of Weihai City, Shandong Province.

Weihai City is the military communications hub in Northern China, which began to set up a military city there at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to resist Japanese pirates (14-16 centuries). Liugong Island , which lies on the sea, is an important outpost for coastal defense in the north. In 1887, the 13th year of the reign of Guangxu, the Qing government built two naval ports — Lushun and Weihaiwei, and founded the Northern Fleet of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It also established the Naval Commanding Office on the Liugong Island. In 1894, when the Anti-Japanese War broke out, in the critical phase, the Qing government adopted the policy of suing for peace and avoiding war. In February 1895, Japanese troops besieged Weihaiwei. Although the patriotic officers and soldiers of the Northern Fleet of the Qing spared no efforts in resisting, the whole army suffered a complete collapse and the naval commander, Ding Ruchang, including many others, died for their country.

The former site of the Commanding Office of the Northern Fleet of the Qing Dynasty on Liugong Island Memorial Place for the Anti-Japanese War of 1894-1895 covers an area of 10,000 square meters and faces south. In addition, there is a fleet academy, engineering institute, iron wharf, dock, playground, Ding Ruchang’s residence and other relics and old sites. Liugong Island‘s forts on both the south and north banks of the Weihai Sea, and the Land Rout Fort remain intact. There is an exhibition hall for cultural relics of sea battles of the Anti-Japanese War at the former site of the Commanding Office of Northern Fleet of the Qing for public viewing.

(Source: chinaculture.org)