18 Facts About Deng Shichang

Deng Shichang, courtesy name Zhengqing, posthumous name Zhuangjie, was an Imperial Chinese Navy officer who lived in the late Qing dynasty.

Deng Shichang is best known for his service in the Beiyang Fleet during the First Sino-Japanese War as the captain of the protected cruiser Zhiyuan.

Deng Shichang participated in the Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894 against the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Deng Shichang was posthumously awarded the position of taizi shaobao by the Qing government and honoured as a hero in the Shrine of Loyalty in Beijing.

Deng Shichang's given name was originally "Yongchang" but was later changed to "Shichang".

Deng Shichang was born in a relatively wealthy family that ran a tea trading business.

In 1867, Deng Shichang was accepted into the Naval Academy in Mawei, Fujian, as part of the first batch of students.

In May 1874, when the Japanese invaded Taiwan, Deng Shichang was ordered to lead Qing forces to reinforce the defences at Keelung and the Pescadores.

In 1880, Deng Shichang was transferred to the Beiyang Fleet and sent to Britain to receive and escort the cruiser Yangwei back to China.

Deng Shichang was promoted to the position of a fujiang in the central administration of the Beiyang Fleet.

At the time, Deng Shichang was the only guandai in the Beiyang Fleet who was not educated or trained outside of China.

In 1891, when Li Hongzhang, the Viceroy of the Capital Province, inspected the Beiyang Fleet, he was so impressed with how Deng Shichang trained his sailors that he awarded Deng Shichang the honorary title of a baturu.

Early in the battle, Deng Shichang moved aggressively against the Japanese command vessel Sei-Kyo Maru, inflicting considerable damage on it, and coming under counterattack by the Japanese flying squadron led by Admiral Tsuboi Kozo.

Deng Shichang ordered the Zhiyuan to close on the Naniwa and attempt to ram it, but was hit in the bow by a shell fired from either the Naniwa or Takachiho at 1550 hours, which caused a massive explosion, after which the Zhiyuan rapidly sank.

Deng Shichang refused to be rescued and eventually drowned at sea with his pet dog.

In spite of such negative views, Deng Shichang's death stirred up strong nationalist sentiments throughout China.

Deng Shichang's mother was presented with a 1.5 kilogramme plaque made of gold and inscribed with the words "Excellent Upbringing of a Child", while Deng Shichang's family were given 100,000 taels of silver as pension.

Deng Shichang's third son, Deng Haoqian, who was born after his death, served in the Republic of China Navy and died in 1969 in Wuxi.