China to build museum near Sino-Japanese War shipwreck

Dandong City in northeast China plans to build a museum as archaeologists are salvaging the wreckage of a Chinese cruiser sunk in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

The city's cultural affairs bureau said Tuesday that a draft plan had been completed for the museum about the maritime battle in which the Qing Empire's navy was routed by its Japanese counterpart in Sept. 1894.

Archaeologists have identified a shipwreck in the Yellow Sea off Dandong as that of the British-made cruiser Zhiyuan, famed in China for its service during the maritime battle.

Zhiyuan sank in a failed desperate attempt to ram into the Japanese fleet's flagship. Its commander, Deng Shichang, refused to be rescued and died with the ship's 250-plus crew members.

The identification of Zhiyuan was one of the major archaeological discoveries in China in 2015. Archaeologists have recovered more than 150 items, including weapons, personal belongings and parts of the ship since salvaging began in 2013.

Archaeologists hope to salvage the whole ship, but plans and timetables have yet to be finalized.

The ship has immeasurable historical value, and a museum about it can help people reflect on the history of the Sino-Japanese War, said Professor Guan Jie, an expert on the history of China-Japan ties with Dalian Minzu University.

China already has a museum about the war in Weihai City, Shandong Province. Built on a navy base of the defeated Qing fleet on Liugong Island, the museum displays information about the war and both fleets. Endi