Ruins of the Jiangnan Naval School

Ruins of the Jiangnan Naval School

The ruins of the Jiangnan Naval School are a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

Ruins of the Jiangnan Naval School

Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit – Third Batch, March 1982 The ruins of the Jiangnan Naval School date back to 1890. Located on Zhongshan North Road in Nanjing

The school was also known as the Nanyang Naval School or the Jiangning Naval School. Opened on November 16, 1890, during the 16th year of the Guangxu reign, it occupied a site of 45 mu (approximately 3 hectares) within Yifeng Gate in Xiaguan, Nanjing, and primarily trained personnel for the Nanyang Fleet.

The school was managed by one headmaster; it employed over ten staff members including supervisors, overseers, and clerks; more than ten teaching staff from both China and abroad; and about 60 additional personnel including factory workers, a band, and service staff. The school’s system was modeled after that of the Tianjin Naval School and offered two main disciplines: navigation and marine engineering. Each discipline was divided into first, second, and third classes, each assigned a dedicated instructor. Courses were divided into classroom lectures and onboard training. Students started in the third class, focusing on foundational knowledge such as English. They would only be taught specialized subjects—including astronomy, navigation, sailing, tactics, shipbuilding, steam engines, and gunnery—after advancing to the first class. Students were also required to study classic Chinese military texts such as Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo), Strategies of the Warring States, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and Military Strategy Readings from History, in order to build strategic military thinking. The school had six Chinese language instructors who conducted regular classes.

The Jiangnan Naval School was established later than the Fuzhou Shipyard School and the Tianjin Naval School, but it operated with notable vigor. Its graduates were either sent to study in Japan or to train aboard British warships, producing many talented individuals. By the time the Qing Dynasty fell, the Jiangnan Naval School had graduated seven classes (107 students) in navigation, six classes (91 students) in marine engineering, and five classes (13 students) in another department (transferred from the Jiangnan- School). Notable alumni include Lin Jianzhang, Du Xigui, Chen Jiliang, Chen Shaokuan, and Zhao Sheng. Additionally, the Lu Xun brothers—Zhou Shuren (Lu Xun) and Zhou Zuoren—also studied at the Jiangnan Naval School. Lu Xun enrolled in the marine engineering class in 1898, although by that time the Jiangnan Naval School was already deeply corrupt and rundown.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units