Museum of the Sino-Japanese War
In the front right is the Museum of the Sino-Japanese War, an important place for patriotism education. The main building of the exhibition hall was designed by Peng Yigang, a famous architectural design master and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The building creatively integrates the main building symbolizing the Beiyang Navy ships with the statues of Beiyang Navy generals, and is known as the "20th Century Chinese Architectural Classic".
The large cast iron sculpture in the center of the square is called "Sea Soul" and was designed by Tian Kuiyu, a professor at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. The sculpture is based on the Beiyang Navy warship that was damaged and sunk in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The Chinese sea soul spirit of the Beiyang Naval Hallrs and soldiers in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 will be recorded in history forever!
Next, let us walk into the exhibition hall and experience this painful history.
Preface Hall
The Preface Hall integrates the bow shape with the large sedimentary rock background, symbolizing the depth and longevity of history.
The failure of the Sino-Japanese War not only brought disaster to China, but also awakened the awakening of the Chinese nation. Mr. Liang Qichao said, "The awakening of our country's millennium long dream actually began with the Battle of Jiawu!" 1894 was the year of Jiawu in the old Chinese calendar, and the war that broke out that year was called the Jiawu War (Sino-Japanese War), which had a huge impact on modern Chinese history.
Part 1: The Beiyang Navy is established
After the Opium War, the Qing government began to learn advanced Western technology, established a modern navy, and founded modern military industry. In 1888, the Beiyang Navy was officially established on Liugong Island, with 25 warships, most of which were purchased from Britain and Germany. Its strength ranked first in Asia and sixth in the world. The Qing government appointed Ding Ruchang as the admiral of the Beiyang Navy. Most of the senior generals were students selected by the Qing government to study in Europe. Lang William M, Haneken and other foreign officials were also hired as military advisers and technical instructors. The Western copper trumpets used on the warships and the international signal flags hoisted were all in line with Western countries.
The Beiyang Navy had three major bases in Dagu, lvshun and Weihaiwei, forming a triangular defense system to defend the capital internally and resist invasion externally, with a first-class defense level in the Far East.
However, why didn't such a fleet defend the peaceful sea territory of the Qing Dynasty as Li Hongzhang hoped, but was completely annihilated in the Sino-Japanese War? Let's continue the tour.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan embarked on a path of external aggression and expansion, formulated a continental policy to conquer China and dominate Asia, and established a large spy agency in China to collect information on all aspects of China. Before the Sino-Japanese War, Japan had organized 7 modern army divisions with a total force of 120,000, and was ready to launch a war.
While Japan was vigorously expanding its armaments, the Qing government stopped developing its navy. To celebrate her 60th birthday, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled naval funds to build the Summer Palace and the "Three Seas" project. This is a photo of the Summer Palace. Before the Sino-Japanese War, all the ships in the Beiyang Navy, including the Tingyuen and Zhenyuan ironclad ships, were outdated.
Part 2: Japan opened the Pandora's box of war
In the spring of 1894, the "Dongxue" peasant uprising broke out in Korea, and the Qing government was requested to send troops to help. Japan also sent troops to Korea under the pretext of protecting its embassy and expatriates. On July 25th, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on a Chinese troop transport ship in the waters off the coast of Fengdao, Korea, without warning, sparking a war that resulted in the death of more than 800 Qing troops. The Sino-Japanese War broke out.
On September 15, the two sides fought in Pyongyang. This was the first large-scale battle between the two armies since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. During the battle, the Qing army commander Ye Zhichao ordered the Qing army to flee, and was ambushed by the Japanese army, with more than 2,000 casualties. The Qing army retreated 500 miles, crossed the Yalu River, and retreated back to China. The Japanese army occupied Korea, and Korea became a base and springboard for Japan's invasion of China.
The scene recreated here is the bloody battle of General Zuo Baogui at Xuanwu Gate in Pyongyang. When the Battle of Pyongyang started, Zuo Baogui wore the yellow jacket bestowed by the emperor and climbed up the Xuanwu Gate to command the battle. After the gunner was shot and killed, he personally operated the artillery to attack the enemy and unfortunately died. He was the first senior Qing general to die since the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War.
Two days after the Battle of Pyongyang, on September 17, 1894, 10 warships of the Beiyang Navy completed their escort mission and encountered a surprise attack by the Japanese Combined Fleet on their return journey. In the naval battle, the total tonnage of Japanese warships was 9,483 tons more than that of the Beiyang Navy. The Japanese warships were equipped with 93 rapid-fire guns, while the Beiyang Navy was not equipped with rapid-fire guns at all. In addition, the Japanese Navy was equipped with a large number of shells filled with high explosives. The naval battle lasted for nearly 5 hours. Four Beiyang Navy warships were sunk and nearly 1,000 casualties were caused, while no Japanese warships sank and only more than 300 casualties were caused.
After the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the Qing government lost control of the Yellow Sea and the war situation worsened.
After the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the Japanese army launched an attack on China in two directions. On November 6, after occupying Jinzhou in the rear of lvshun, the Japanese army frantically looted and massacred in the city. Here is the tragic scene of the Qu family in Jinzhou committing suicide by jumping into a well. After the fall of Jinzhou, the Qing army in Dalian fled one after another. On November 7, Dalian Bay fell. This day happened to be the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. Amid the sound of artillery fire in Dalian Bay, Beijing held a grand birthday celebration. On November 22, lvshun was occupied by the Japanese army. After the Japanese army occupied lvshun, the commander of the first division ordered "Kill without mercy, whether soldiers or civilians." The crazy massacre lasted for three days and four nights. 20,000 compatriots in lvshun were brutally killed, and only 36 people survived. The barbaric atrocities of the Japanese army have aroused strong condemnation from the world's righteous public opinion. The comment of the American newspaper "World" on the Japanese army's massacre is: Japan has now taken off the false mask of civilization and revealed its true face of barbarism.
On January 20, 1895, the Japanese army landed on Longxu Island in Rongcheng, at the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula, and launched a large-scale attack on Weihaiwei. This is the route map of the Japanese army's attack on Weihaiwei. After landing, the Japanese army divided into two groups. One group attacked the south bank of Weihaiwei, and the other group adopted a roundabout tactic, first occupying Weihaiwei City, and then capturing the north bank battery, forming a sea and land encirclement of Liugong Island. The Beiyang Fleet was besieged in Weihai Bay. On February 12, Admiral Ding Ruchang committed suicide for his country. On February 17, the Japanese army occupied Liugong Island, and the Beiyang Navy was completely annihilated.
Part 3: The Pain of the Sino-Japanese War and the Humiliation of the National
The Sino-Japanese War lasted for more than eight months. Due to the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government, the Qing army suffered repeated defeats and the Beiyang Navy was completely wiped out.
This is the scene of the negotiations at Chunfanlou in Shimonoseki. The Chinese negotiator was Li Hongzhang, and the Japanese negotiator was Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi. China and Japan held seven rounds of negotiations. During the negotiations, Japan blackmailed wantonly and only allowed Li Hongzhang to say "agree" or "disagree". If he disagreed, the war would be resumed. On April 17, 1895, Li Hongzhang was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki with Ito Hirobumi.
After the Sino-Japanese War, Weihaiwei was forcibly leased and occupied by Britain for 32 years. The famous patriotic poet Wen Yiduo created "Song of the Seven Sons" based on the situation of China being divided by foreign powers at that time. This is the fourth poem in the "Song of the Seven Sons" - "Weihaiwei". Mr. Wen Yiduo compared Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Weihaiwei, Lüda, Guangzhou and Kowloon, which were leased and occupied by foreign powers after the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, to the seven children whose motherland was taken away. He expressed their sorrow for being lost to their motherland and abused by foreigners.
Tail Hall
The failure of the Sino-Japanese War warns us that backwardness will lead to being beaten, and corruption will inevitably lead to destruction. History is like an alarm bell, always reminding us not to forget our national humiliation and to keep the alarm bell ringing! After the founding of New China, the party and state leaders attached great importance to the construction of the navy and coastal defense, and successively issued important instructions. Today, the Chinese Navy has advanced ships such as aircraft carriers. It not only has a complete range of naval, land and air forces, but also its ship equipment is accelerating towards modernization and informatization. Today, we review history in the hope of arousing more people's attention to strengthening coastal defense and national defense construction.
The large cast iron sculpture in the center of the square is called "Sea Soul" and was designed by Tian Kuiyu, a professor at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. The sculpture is based on the Beiyang Navy warship that was damaged and sunk in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The Chinese sea soul spirit of the Beiyang Naval Hallrs and soldiers in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 will be recorded in history forever!
Next, let us walk into the exhibition hall and experience this painful history.
Preface Hall
The Preface Hall integrates the bow shape with the large sedimentary rock background, symbolizing the depth and longevity of history.
The failure of the Sino-Japanese War not only brought disaster to China, but also awakened the awakening of the Chinese nation. Mr. Liang Qichao said, "The awakening of our country's millennium long dream actually began with the Battle of Jiawu!" 1894 was the year of Jiawu in the old Chinese calendar, and the war that broke out that year was called the Jiawu War (Sino-Japanese War), which had a huge impact on modern Chinese history.
Part 1: The Beiyang Navy is established
After the Opium War, the Qing government began to learn advanced Western technology, established a modern navy, and founded modern military industry. In 1888, the Beiyang Navy was officially established on Liugong Island, with 25 warships, most of which were purchased from Britain and Germany. Its strength ranked first in Asia and sixth in the world. The Qing government appointed Ding Ruchang as the admiral of the Beiyang Navy. Most of the senior generals were students selected by the Qing government to study in Europe. Lang William M, Haneken and other foreign officials were also hired as military advisers and technical instructors. The Western copper trumpets used on the warships and the international signal flags hoisted were all in line with Western countries.
The Beiyang Navy had three major bases in Dagu, lvshun and Weihaiwei, forming a triangular defense system to defend the capital internally and resist invasion externally, with a first-class defense level in the Far East.
However, why didn't such a fleet defend the peaceful sea territory of the Qing Dynasty as Li Hongzhang hoped, but was completely annihilated in the Sino-Japanese War? Let's continue the tour.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan embarked on a path of external aggression and expansion, formulated a continental policy to conquer China and dominate Asia, and established a large spy agency in China to collect information on all aspects of China. Before the Sino-Japanese War, Japan had organized 7 modern army divisions with a total force of 120,000, and was ready to launch a war.
While Japan was vigorously expanding its armaments, the Qing government stopped developing its navy. To celebrate her 60th birthday, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled naval funds to build the Summer Palace and the "Three Seas" project. This is a photo of the Summer Palace. Before the Sino-Japanese War, all the ships in the Beiyang Navy, including the Tingyuen and Zhenyuan ironclad ships, were outdated.
Part 2: Japan opened the Pandora's box of war
In the spring of 1894, the "Dongxue" peasant uprising broke out in Korea, and the Qing government was requested to send troops to help. Japan also sent troops to Korea under the pretext of protecting its embassy and expatriates. On July 25th, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on a Chinese troop transport ship in the waters off the coast of Fengdao, Korea, without warning, sparking a war that resulted in the death of more than 800 Qing troops. The Sino-Japanese War broke out.
On September 15, the two sides fought in Pyongyang. This was the first large-scale battle between the two armies since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. During the battle, the Qing army commander Ye Zhichao ordered the Qing army to flee, and was ambushed by the Japanese army, with more than 2,000 casualties. The Qing army retreated 500 miles, crossed the Yalu River, and retreated back to China. The Japanese army occupied Korea, and Korea became a base and springboard for Japan's invasion of China.
The scene recreated here is the bloody battle of General Zuo Baogui at Xuanwu Gate in Pyongyang. When the Battle of Pyongyang started, Zuo Baogui wore the yellow jacket bestowed by the emperor and climbed up the Xuanwu Gate to command the battle. After the gunner was shot and killed, he personally operated the artillery to attack the enemy and unfortunately died. He was the first senior Qing general to die since the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War.
Two days after the Battle of Pyongyang, on September 17, 1894, 10 warships of the Beiyang Navy completed their escort mission and encountered a surprise attack by the Japanese Combined Fleet on their return journey. In the naval battle, the total tonnage of Japanese warships was 9,483 tons more than that of the Beiyang Navy. The Japanese warships were equipped with 93 rapid-fire guns, while the Beiyang Navy was not equipped with rapid-fire guns at all. In addition, the Japanese Navy was equipped with a large number of shells filled with high explosives. The naval battle lasted for nearly 5 hours. Four Beiyang Navy warships were sunk and nearly 1,000 casualties were caused, while no Japanese warships sank and only more than 300 casualties were caused.
After the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the Qing government lost control of the Yellow Sea and the war situation worsened.
After the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the Japanese army launched an attack on China in two directions. On November 6, after occupying Jinzhou in the rear of lvshun, the Japanese army frantically looted and massacred in the city. Here is the tragic scene of the Qu family in Jinzhou committing suicide by jumping into a well. After the fall of Jinzhou, the Qing army in Dalian fled one after another. On November 7, Dalian Bay fell. This day happened to be the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. Amid the sound of artillery fire in Dalian Bay, Beijing held a grand birthday celebration. On November 22, lvshun was occupied by the Japanese army. After the Japanese army occupied lvshun, the commander of the first division ordered "Kill without mercy, whether soldiers or civilians." The crazy massacre lasted for three days and four nights. 20,000 compatriots in lvshun were brutally killed, and only 36 people survived. The barbaric atrocities of the Japanese army have aroused strong condemnation from the world's righteous public opinion. The comment of the American newspaper "World" on the Japanese army's massacre is: Japan has now taken off the false mask of civilization and revealed its true face of barbarism.
On January 20, 1895, the Japanese army landed on Longxu Island in Rongcheng, at the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula, and launched a large-scale attack on Weihaiwei. This is the route map of the Japanese army's attack on Weihaiwei. After landing, the Japanese army divided into two groups. One group attacked the south bank of Weihaiwei, and the other group adopted a roundabout tactic, first occupying Weihaiwei City, and then capturing the north bank battery, forming a sea and land encirclement of Liugong Island. The Beiyang Fleet was besieged in Weihai Bay. On February 12, Admiral Ding Ruchang committed suicide for his country. On February 17, the Japanese army occupied Liugong Island, and the Beiyang Navy was completely annihilated.
Part 3: The Pain of the Sino-Japanese War and the Humiliation of the National
The Sino-Japanese War lasted for more than eight months. Due to the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government, the Qing army suffered repeated defeats and the Beiyang Navy was completely wiped out.
This is the scene of the negotiations at Chunfanlou in Shimonoseki. The Chinese negotiator was Li Hongzhang, and the Japanese negotiator was Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi. China and Japan held seven rounds of negotiations. During the negotiations, Japan blackmailed wantonly and only allowed Li Hongzhang to say "agree" or "disagree". If he disagreed, the war would be resumed. On April 17, 1895, Li Hongzhang was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki with Ito Hirobumi.
After the Sino-Japanese War, Weihaiwei was forcibly leased and occupied by Britain for 32 years. The famous patriotic poet Wen Yiduo created "Song of the Seven Sons" based on the situation of China being divided by foreign powers at that time. This is the fourth poem in the "Song of the Seven Sons" - "Weihaiwei". Mr. Wen Yiduo compared Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Weihaiwei, Lüda, Guangzhou and Kowloon, which were leased and occupied by foreign powers after the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, to the seven children whose motherland was taken away. He expressed their sorrow for being lost to their motherland and abused by foreigners.
Tail Hall
The failure of the Sino-Japanese War warns us that backwardness will lead to being beaten, and corruption will inevitably lead to destruction. History is like an alarm bell, always reminding us not to forget our national humiliation and to keep the alarm bell ringing! After the founding of New China, the party and state leaders attached great importance to the construction of the navy and coastal defense, and successively issued important instructions. Today, the Chinese Navy has advanced ships such as aircraft carriers. It not only has a complete range of naval, land and air forces, but also its ship equipment is accelerating towards modernization and informatization. Today, we review history in the hope of arousing more people's attention to strengthening coastal defense and national defense construction.