Imperial Chinese Navy
Encyclopedia
The Chinese Imperial Navy came into existence from 1132 during the Song Dynasty
to the end of the Qing period
in 1912. Prior to 12th century, Chinese naval ships were not organized into a uniform force. After 1911, it was replaced by the Republic of China Navy
and then the People's Liberation Army Navy
after 1949.
Following the First Opium War
, the Qing improved their naval fleet with modern ships from Europe
:
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
to the end of the Qing period
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in 1912. Prior to 12th century, Chinese naval ships were not organized into a uniform force. After 1911, it was replaced by the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
and then the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
after 1949.
Ship types
Pre-19th Century ships were wood and of various sizes.- fu po (warship) - 19th C ships
- hai hu or sea hawks
- combat junks
- lou chuan - ships of the Ming dynasty
- mengchong or covered swoopers (蒙衝): leather-covered assault warship - ships of the Three Kingdoms period
- river boats - Song Dynasty
- tower ships
- yu ting or patrol boats
- zhan xian or combat junks
- zou ge or flying barques
Following the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
, the Qing improved their naval fleet with modern ships from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
:
- Battleships
- Cruisers
- Corvettes
Bases
- DinghaiDinghai DistrictDinghai is a district of Zhoushan City made of 128 islands in Zhejiang province, China. It is based on the larger northwestern half of Zhoushan Island, where it borders Putuo in the east. The district boundary meets that of Daishan County entirely on sea to the north...
- as Admiralty HQ during the 12th Century - Canton (now GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
) - fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th Century - Foochow ArsenalFoochow ArsenalThe Foochow Arsenal , also Mawei Arsenal was one of several shipyards in China built under orders of Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, leaders of the Qing government's Self-Strengthening Movement of the mid to late 19th century...
, near FuzhouFuzhouFuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
(1866—1884) - fleet base of the Qing navy and naval yard and School of Naval Administration in the late 19th Century; ancient shipbuilding centre - ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
- fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th Century - TianjinTianjin' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
- fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th Century and home to the Tianjing Naval Academy - Liugong IslandLiugong IslandLiugong Island is a small islandlocated on the northeastern edge of Shandong Peninsula, China at the mouth of Weihai Bay. It is known as the "birthplace of China's first modern navy".-Geography:...
(1888) - birthplace of the Qing navy and base from 1888 to 1898; later served as Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
base until 1930 - Weihaiwei - naval port; served as Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
base from 1898 until 1930
Fleets
- Beiyang FleetBeiyang FleetThe Beiyang Fleet was one of the four modernised Chinese navies in the late Qing Dynasty. Among the four, the Beiyang Fleet was particularly sponsored by Li Hongzhang, one of the most trusted vassals of Empress Dowager Cixi and the principal patron of the "self-strengthening movement" in northern...
- North Sea Fleet based from TianjinTianjin' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
established 1875 - Nanyang FleetNanyang FleetThe Nanyang Fleet was one of the four modernised Chinese navies in the late Qing Dynasty. Established in the 1870s, the fleet suffered losses in the Sino-French War, escaped intact in the Sino-Japanese War, and was formally abolished in 1909....
- South Sea Fleet based from ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... - Guangdong FleetGuangdong FleetThe Guangdong Fleet was the smallest of China's four regional fleets during the second half of the nineteenth century. The fleet played virtually no part in the Sino-French War , but several of its ships saw action in the Sino-Japanese War .- Leadership :In the summer of 1882, when China began to...
- based from Canton (now GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
) - Fujian FleetFujian FleetThe Fujian Fleet was one of China's four regional fleets during the closing decades of the nineteenth century. The fleet was almost annihilated on 23 August 1884 by Admiral Amédée Courbet's Far East Squadron at the Battle of Fuzhou, the opening engagement of the Sino-French War .-Composition:The...
- based from FuzhouFuzhouFuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....