Liugong Island is a short ferry ride from Weihai harbor and was the base of the Beiyang Fleet — the Qing Dynasty's modernized northern navy — until the fleet's destruction by Japan in 1895. The island holds a substantial museum on the First Sino-Japanese War, the broader context of 19th-century Chinese military modernization, and the geopolitical pressures that forced the Qing court into a series of costly and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to compete with modernized foreign and Japanese forces.
The highlight is the full-scale replica of the battleship Dingyuan, moored at the island's dock and open as a museum ship. The vessel replicates the original's layout and fittings, including the main armored turrets. Britain subsequently leased Weihai from 1898 to 1930, and the island also preserves traces of the British military presence — a period of gentler colonialism that left barracks, a small church, and administrative buildings. The ferry takes about 20 minutes from the Weihai harbor terminal.