Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet

Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet

The Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet was the third modern shipyard in China after the Mawei Shipyard in Fujian and the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, as well as the earliest shipbuilding and repair facility and an important military-industrial base in northern China. In 1880, Li Hongzhang petitioned Emperor Guangxu and received approval to establish the “Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet” in Dagu. The site was chosen at the Temple of the Sea God (now within the Tianjin Shipyard), commonly referred to as the “Temple of the Sea God Shipyard” at the time, later known as the “Dagu Shipyard,” and has a history of over 130 years. After 1890, in addition to continuing ship repairs and construction, the shipyard began producing munitions. In 1891, it replicated a German one-pound breech-loading cannon and the Maxim heavy machine gun, mass-producing the “Dagu Gun.” In 1892, a main gun repair workshop was set up within the shipyard compound, also manufacturing guns, with most of the artillery deployed in the waters around Dagu Harbor produced by this factory. From then on, the Dagu Shipyard became a comprehensive military base for ship repair and construction as well as munitions production. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895, which shocked both China and the world, the shipyard, together with the patriotic officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Fleet, made outstanding contributions to resisting foreign aggression, defending national dignity, and strengthening coastal defenses.

In October 2000, the Tianjin Shipyard invested in the construction of the “Memorial Hall of the Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet.” The hall covers an area of 1,200 square meters, with an exhibition area of 600 square meters, a front hall of 200 square meters, and a physical exhibit area of 200 square meters. Through four sections — “The Establishment of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet,” “The Indelible Contributions of the Dagu Shipyard,” “The Hardships and Twists of the Dagu Shipyard,” and “The Rebirth and Development of the Dagu Shipyard” — it showcases the site’s significant historical role and its development over more than 130 years. The exhibits include machine tools, mooring bollards, and the Maxim heavy machine gun replicated in the 18th year of the Guangxu reign (1892) that were imported in the early days of the shipyard’s establishment, displaying the original appearance of the century-old shipyard. The hall houses China’s first large-scale diorama of a plate-based mud dock and a model of China’s first submarine, demonstrating the outstanding creativity of China’s first generation of industrial workers in the north and the wisdom behind modern Chinese shipbuilding.

The Memorial Hall of the Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet is located in the Dagu area, 6 kilometers southeast of Tanggu, about 1.5 kilometers from the Ancient Dagu Fort. It backs onto the Haihe River and is adjacent to Jingu Highway, forming a key scenic spot along the Haihe River tour route along with the Chaoyin Temple and Dagu Fort. The Memorial Hall of the Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet is a Tianjin Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 2002, it was designated as a Tianjin Patriotic Education Base by the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government.

In May 2013, the Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet was listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address of the Memorial Hall of the Site of the Dagu Shipyard of the Beiyang Fleet: No. 27, Daguwu Road, Tanggu, Binhai New Area. Open to the public free of charge from Monday to Friday. Contact number: 652661350

Further Reading:

· Fourth Group of Tianjin Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units