The Imperial Chinese Navy was the modern navy of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

of China established in 1875. An Imperial naval force in China first came into existence from 1132 during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

and existed in some form until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. However, the name "Imperial Chinese Navy" usually only refers to the Qing navy that existed between 1875 and 1912, with "Imperial Chinese Navy" as its official English name.

History

Precursors

In the 1860s, an attempt was made to establish a modern navy via the British-built Osborn or "Vampire" Fleet to combat the Taiping rebels' US-built gunboats. The so-called "Vampire Fleet", fitted out by the Chinese government for the suppression of

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

on the coast of China, was scrapped owing to the non-fulfilment of the condition that British commander Sherard Osborn should receive orders from the imperial government only.

Establishment of the Qing navy

In 1865, the

Jiangnan Shipyard Jiangnan Shipyard ( zh, c=江南造船厂, p=Jiāngnán Zàochuán Chǎng) is a historic shipyard in Shanghai, China. The shipyard has been state-owned since its founding in 1865 and is now operated as Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. Befo ...

was established. In 1874, a Japanese incursion into

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

exposed the vulnerability of China at sea. A proposal was made to establish three modern coastal fleets: the Northern Sea or Beiyang Fleet, to defend the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

, the Southern Sea or Nanyang Fleet, to defend the

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

, and the Canton Sea or Yueyang Fleet, to defend the

Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. Names Former names of the Tai ...

and the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

. The Beiyang Fleet, with a remit to defend the section of coastline closest to the capital

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, was prioritised. A series of warships were ordered from Britain and Germany in the late 1870s, and naval bases were built at Port Arthur and

Weihaiwei Weihai ( zh, t=, p=Wēihǎi), formerly Weihaiwei ( zh, s=, p=Wēihǎiwèi, l=Mighty Sea Fort, first=t), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport city in the easternmost Shandong province of China. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow ...

. The first British-built ships were delivered in 1881, and the

Beiyang Fleet The Beiyang Fleet (Pei-yang Fleet; , alternatively Northern Seas Fleet) was one of the Imperial Chinese Navy#Fleets, four modernized Chinese navies in the late Qing dynasty. Among the four, the Beiyang Fleet was particularly sponsored by Li Hong ...

was formally established in 1888. In 1894, the Beiyang Fleet was, on paper, the strongest navy in Asia at the time. However, it was largely lost during the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

in the Battle of the Yalu River. Although the '' Zhenyuan'' and '' Dingyuan'' modern battleships were impervious to Japanese fire, they were unable to sink a single ship and all eight cruisers were lost. The battle displayed once again that the modernisation efforts of China were far inferior to the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

. The Nanyang Fleet was also established in 1875, and grew with mostly domestically built warships and a small number of acquisitions from Britain and Germany. The admiralty or naval board (''haijun yamen'') was established in 1885. The Nanyang Fleet fought in the

Sino-French War The Sino-French or Franco-Chinese War, also known as the Tonkin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885 between the French Third Republic and Qing China for influence in Vietnam. There was no declaration of war. The C ...

, performing somewhat poorly against the French in all engagements. The separate

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

and

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

fleets became part of the Imperial navy after 1875. The Fujian Fleet was almost annihilated during the Sino-French War, and was only able to acquire two new ships thereafter. By 1891, due to budget cuts, the Fujian Fleet was barely a viable fleet. The Guangdong Fleet was established in the late 1860s and was based at Whampoa, in Canton (now

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

). After the First Sino-Japanese War,

Zhang Zhidong Zhang Zhidong ( zh, t=張之洞) (2 September 18374 October 1909) was a Chinese politician who lived during the late Qing dynasty. Along with Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, Zhang Zhidong was one of the four most famous offici ...

established a river-based fleet in

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

. In 1909, the remnants of the Beiyang, Nanyang, Guangdong, and Fujian Fleets, together with the Hubei fleet, were merged, and re-organised as the Sea Fleet and the River Fleet. There were also plans to re-develop the fleet, with a budget of 7-8 million taels per year, including a small amount of loan from the United States of America. Sak Deng-bing2

In 1911, Sa Zhenbing became the Minister of Navy of the Great Qing. Chinese sailors-1911

One of the new ships delivered after the war with Japan, the cruiser ''Hai Chi'', in 1911 became the first vessel flying the Yellow Dragon Flag to arrive in American waters, visiting

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

as part of a tour.

Successors

After the

1911 Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...

and the establishment of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

in 1912, the Imperial Chinese Navy was replaced by the

Republic of China Navy The Republic of China Navy (ROCN, Chinese, 中華民國海軍) , colloquially known as the Taiwanese Navy ( Chinese, 台湾海军) by Western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Navy ( Chinese, 國軍海軍) ...

. The

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

was established in early 1949 by the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

, and after the establishment of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

later that year, became the main navy of China.

Fleets

- North Sea Fleet based from

Nanyang Fleet The Nanyang Fleet () was one of the four modernised Chinese naval fleets 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 i ...

- South Sea Fleet based from

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

Guangdong Fleet The 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 (August 1884–April 1885), but several of its ships saw action in ...

- based from Canton (now

) *

Fujian Fleet The Fujian Fleet ( or ) founded in 1678 as the Fujian Marine 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 F ...

- based from

Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...

, founded in 1678 as the ''Fujian Marine Fleet''

Bases

* Beiyang Fleet:

Liugong Island Liugong Island ( zh, s=, t=, p=Liúgōng Dǎo, w=Liu-kung Tao) is a small island located 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" and is also ...

(1888–1895); occupied by Japan 1895–1898, leased to Britain 1898-1940 (until 1930 as part of

); re-occupied by Japan 1940–1945; used by Communist forces from 1945 **

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

, home to the Tianjin Naval Academy ** Lüshunkou,

Dalian Dalian ( ) is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China (after Shenyang ...

(1888–1895); occupied by Japan 1895–1898, leased to Russia 1898–1904; occupied by Japan 1904–1945; leased to Soviet Union 1945–1955; returned to China in 1955 * Nanyang Fleet:

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

* Fujian Fleet:

Foochow Arsenal The Foochow Arsenal, also known as the Fuzhou or Mawei Arsenal, was one of several shipyards created by the Qing Empire and a flagship project of French assistance to China during the Self-Strengthening Movement. The shipyard was constructed under ...

, near

(1866–1884) - fleet base of the

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

navy and naval yard and School of Naval Administration in the late 19th century; ancient shipbuilding centre * Guangdong Fleet: Whampoa,

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...

Governance

In 1885, after the

, the Qing court set up a Navy Office to oversee the navy. In 1910, as part of the reform of the Qing government structure, the Navy Office was replaced by a Navy Ministry, headed by a Navy Secretary. The highest ranks of the navy after the merger of the fleets in 1909 were: * Admiral of the Imperial Chinese Navy (Zheng Dutong) * Vice Admiral of the Imperial Chinese Navy (Fu Dutong) * Rear Admiral of the Imperial Chinese Navy (Xie Dutong) * Commodore of the Imperial Chinese Navy (Tongdai) * Fleet leader of the Imperial Chinese Navy (Duizhang) When it was first developed by

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...

, the

was said to be the strongest navy in East Asia. Before her adopted son,

Emperor Guangxu The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 18 ...

, took over the throne in 1889, Cixi wrote out explicit orders that the navy should continue to develop and expand gradually. On the eve of the First Sino-Japanese War, the German General Staff predicted a victory for China and William Lang, who was a British advisor to the Chinese military, praised Chinese training, ships, guns, and fortifications, stating that "in the end, there is no doubt that Japan must be utterly crushed". However, after Cixi went into retirement, all naval and military development came to a drastic halt. The military defeats suffered by China has been attributed to the factionalism of regional military governors. For instance, the Beiyang Fleet refused to participate in the Sino-French War in 1884, with the Nanyang Fleet retaliating by refusing to deploy during the Sino-Japanese War of 1895. Li Hongzhang wanted to personally maintain control of this fleet, many top vessels among its number, by keeping it in northern China and not letting it slip into the control of southern factions. China did not have a single admiralty in charge of all the Chinese navies before 1885. The northern and southern Chinese navies did not cooperate, and therefore, enemy navies needed only to fight a segment of China's navy.

Ship types

Pre-19th-century ships were wood and of various sizes. * fu po (warship) - 19th-century ships * hai hu or sea hawks * combat

junks A junk () is a type of Chinese sailing ship characterized by a central rudder, an overhanging flat transom, watertight bulkheads, and a flat-bottomed design. They are also characteristically built using iron nails and clamps. The term applie ...

louchuan Louchuan () were a type of Chinese naval vessels, primarily a floating fortress, which have seen use since the Han dynasty. Meant to be a central vessel in the fleet, the louchuan was equipped for boarding and attacking enemy vessels, as well as ...

(樓船) - tower ships of the Ming dynasty *

mengchong The ''Mengchong'' () was a leather-covered assault warship used in China during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. Its use famously played an important role in the pivotal Battle of Red Cliffs during the winter of 208–209, in which Zhou Yu, the com ...

or covered assaulter (艨艟): leather-covered assault warship - ships of the Three Kingdoms period * river boats - Song Dynasty * wugongchuan, or centipede ship - 16th century galley based on Portuguese types * yu ting or patrol boats * zhan xian or combat junks * zou ge or flying barques Following the

First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...

, the

improved their naval fleet with modern ships from

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

: Battleships: * Dingyuan class ** ''Dingyuan'' (1881) ** ''Zhenyuan'' (1882) Coastal Defense Ships: *'' Pingyuan'' (1890) Cruisers: * ''Chaoyung'' class ** (1880) ** (1881) * '' (1883)'' * ''Kai Che'' class ** ''Kai Che'' (1882) ** ''King Ch'ing'' (1886) ** ''Huan T'ai'' (1886) * ''Nan Thin'' class ** ''Nan Thin'' (1883) ** ''Nan Shuin'' (1884) ** ''Fu Ch'ing'' (1893) * ''Chih Yuan'' class ** (1886) ** (1886) * ''King Yuan'' class ** (1887) ** (1887) * ''Lung Wei'' (1888) * ''Tung Chi'' class (Similar to American Columbia class, but were composite cruisers) ** ''Tung Chi'' (1895) ** ''Fu An'' (1894) * Hǎi Qí class ** '' Hai Tien'' (1897) ** (1898) * Hai Yung class ** (1897) ** ''Hai Chou'' (1897) ** (1898) * ** (1912) ** (1913) Corvettes:

Flags

Flags shown are for the Imperial Chinese Navy during the period 1909 to 1911: File:Flag of the Qing Dynasty (1889-1912).svg, Naval Ensign of the Imperial Chinese Navy File:Imperial Chinese Navy Secretary's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Flag for the Imperial Chinese Navy Secretary File:Imperial Chinese Navy Admiral's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Command flag for Imperial Chinese Navy Admiral File:Imperial Chinese Navy Vice Admiral's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Command flag for Imperial Chinese Navy Vice Admiral File:Imperial Chinese Navy Rear Admiral's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Command flag for Imperial Chinese Navy Rear Admiral File:Imperial Chinese Navy Senior Officer's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Command flag for Imperial Chinese Navy Commodore File:Imperial Chinese Navy Fleet Leader's Flag (1909-1911).svg, Command flag for Imperial Chinese Navy Senior Officer's/Fleet Leader File:Imperial Chinese Navy Duty Ship Pennant (1909-1911).svg, Imperial Chinese Navy Duty Ship Pennant File:Imperial Chinese Navy Commission Pennant (1909-1911).svg, Imperial Chinese Navy Commission Pennant ''Notes:The Commodore was not a substantive rank but rather, a captain commanding a squadron.''

References

Citations

Sources

* Cole, Bernard D. ''The Great Wall at Sea: China's Navy in the Twenty-First Century'' (2nd ed., 2010) * Graff, David Andrew and Robin Higham (2002). ''A Military History of China''. Boulder: Westview Press. * Miles Li, (2007) "Fujian Arsenal" temporary exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. * Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3, Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd. * *

External links

China: Its History and Culture

Naval Warfare and Refraction of China's Self-Strengthening Reforms into Scientific and Technological Failure - 1860-1895
{{Ancient and Dynastic Chinese Military History Navies by country Naval history of China Military history of the Qing dynasty Disbanded navies