Liugong Island 刘公岛

About Liugong Island

The former Beiyang naval headquarters and the Iron Pier show how the island functioned as a late-Qing fleet base. Museum displays explain the First Sino-Japanese War and the fleet’s defeat. The surviving buildings, harbour structures and sea setting work together here: seeing them in context gives the historical account a scale that an indoor exhibition alone cannot provide.

Archaeological evidence shows the island was inhabited from at least the Warring States period, and during the Han dynasty it was settled by members of the Liu family, giving rise to its present name. Its population was evacuated in 1663 after an epidemic broke out, and the island was resettled twenty-seven years later, in 1690, by three families named Cong, Zou and Jiang.

The island lies about 4 kilometers from Weihai port at the mouth of Weihai Bay, between the Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas, and covers an area of 3.15 square kilometers with a coastline 14.95 kilometers long. Its terrain is steep in the north and gentle in the south, rising to its highest point at Qiding Mountain (旗顶山), 153.5 meters above sea level.

Because it sits at the center of Weihai's harbor between the two peninsulas, the island has been described as an 'eastern screen' (东隅屏藩) of strategic military importance, and numerous naval engagements have taken place around it. Its slopes are thickly wooded, chiefly with black pine, covering more than 2,700 mu (亩); the island was designated a national forest park in 1985.

What to look for

• The former naval headquarters and its courtyard architecture.
• The Iron Pier and museum displays relating to the Beiyang Fleet and the 1894–95 war.

Location & getting there

Getting to Liugong Island

Take the island boat from Liugong Island Tourist Wharf at 101-2 Haibin North Road in Weihai. Access is by water, so confirm the day’s sailing and return arrangements before boarding; the mainland wharf is separate from the attractions on the island.