Liugong Island in a Day: Ferry, Jiawu War Museum

The day in brief: a boat to the island, a day of history

Liugong Island can only be reached by boat. It is a national 5A scenic area and a nationally protected heritage site as the 'Liugong Island Memorial Site of the 1894 Sino-Japanese War'. This post plans a history-focused island day in order: the boat, the China Jiawu War Museum and the old naval buildings, touring the island, and getting back.

For a full Weihai plan that also covers the city museum, the north coast and Chengshantou in Rongcheng, see the 2-night, 3-day route. Use that post for the overall trip, and this one to prepare the island day in more detail.

• Full Weihai travel guide →
• Incheon → Weihai flights →
• How Many Days in Weihai? A 2-Night, 3-Day Route →

The boat: from the tourist pier (旅游码头) to Liugong Island

Boats to Liugong Island leave from the tourist pier (旅游码头) in central Huancui. You need a return boat ticket plus admission, and the boat ticket is also your free admission voucher for the China Jiawu War Museum, so keep it safe until you leave the island.

Check boat times, fares and how to book in the official information before you go. The cable car, island tour bus, sea cruise and digital theatre on the island cost extra and package tickets are available, so deciding in advance what you want to ride makes choosing a ticket easier. The tourist service centre (旅游集散中心) at Weihai Station handles ticket booking and travel advice.

In typhoons or strong wind, boats to the island stop and sights may close temporarily. It gets crowded around National Day (1 October), so check official notices on the day you go.

• Return boat ticket + admission (the boat ticket is the museum's free admission voucher)
• Boat times, fares, booking: check official information before you go
• Rides and digital theatre: extra cost, package tickets available
• Typhoons and strong wind: boats can stop, check official notices

The China Jiawu War Museum and the old naval buildings

Once you land, start with the China Jiawu War Museum. It is a memorial-site museum that opened on 21 March 1985, themed on the Beiyang Fleet and the 1894 Sino-Japanese War (the Jiawu War). Exhibits are in historic buildings such as the Beiyang Navy Admiralty and the Naval Academy, so you see the buildings and the displays together.

Entry is free, and your Liugong Island boat ticket serves as the free admission voucher. Hours are given as 8:30-16:30 in the low season (last entry 16:00) and 7:30-18:00 in the high season (last entry 17:30). Visitors are capped at 8,000 a day, so going there first after you land is the relaxed choice. Check the dates of the low and high seasons in the official information before you go.

Photography and filming are not allowed inside the museum. Don't carry sea creatures you picked up on the shore into the exhibition halls.

Touring the island: Ding Ruchang's residence, rides, digital theatre

After the museum, tour the island. The wisteria at Ding Ruchang's residence is listed as a first-grade famous tree. On the island there is a hillside cable car, Island Tour Bus Line 1 (including a submarine) and a round-the-island sea cruise, and the guide's plan also tours the island by cable car or island tour bus.

Check walking paths and distances in the official information or on local signboards before you set out. If you plan to walk without the rides, set your return time around the museum's last entry.

If you would like to see the story of the 1894 war in a theatre, there is 'Dingyuan Zhuangge' (定远壮歌), China's first digital theatre on the 1894 war. The rides and the digital theatre cost extra and package tickets are available, so check prices in official information.

A sample order for the day and getting back

Last entry to the museum is 16:00 in the low season and 17:30 in the high season. Arriving on the island late in the afternoon means rushing the museum, so it is better to get to the island in the morning.

Check return boat times in the official information before you go, and check again before you leave the island. Back in the city, finish the day with a seafood dinner of oysters and sea cucumber. Weihai sea cucumber is large with a clean, crisp texture and is described as 'the best of sea cucumbers', and autumn is seafood season.

• Morning: boat from the tourist pier to Liugong Island
• On arrival: China Jiawu War Museum (Beiyang Navy Admiralty, Naval Academy)
• Next: the wisteria at Ding Ruchang's residence, then tour the island by cable car or island tour bus
• If you have time: the 'Dingyuan Zhuangge' digital theatre or the sea cruise
• Afternoon: boat back to the tourist pier → seafood dinner in the city

More history: the city museum and British-style architecture

The Weihai Museum is a national second-grade museum with the core exhibition 'Weihai History and Culture', plus a branch, the First World War Chinese Labourers Memorial Museum. All exhibitions are free; show ID to get a free ticket. It is on the 3rd floor of the Culture and Art Centre on Jimo Road, Huancui District.

It opens Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-16:30 (last entry 16:15) and closes on Mondays (open on public holidays). Putting it on the same day as Liugong Island means rushing both, so give it a separate day. Flash, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed.

Central Huancui also has buildings from the British leasehold period. They are protected nationally as 'Weihai British-style architecture'.

When to go and final checks

Clear autumn days are described as good for coastal drives, walks and seafood. Weihai is described as having a maritime climate: cool springs, cool summers, warm autumns and mild winters, and it is often windy and fairly humid. In summer, typhoons can stop boats to the island, and it gets crowded around National Day (1 October).

For a plan that adds Weihai's other sights, see the 2-night, 3-day route.

• Boat times, fares, booking: check official information before you go
• Boats and openings in typhoons or strong wind: check official notices
• No photography or filming inside the museum
• Visa and entry rules: check official information before you go

• How Many Days in Weihai? A 2-Night, 3-Day Route →
• Full Weihai travel guide →

FAQ

Related reading

Itinerary · ChinaHow Many Days in Weihai? A 2-Night, 3-Day RouteWeihai in 2 nights and 3 days: Liugong Island and the Jiawu War Museum, the Weihai…Comparison · ChinaChina's Cities Compared: Beijing, Shanghai or Qingdao?Beijing for history, Shanghai for skylines and food, or seaside Qingdao for beer and…Itinerary · ChinaA slow day in old Chengdu: Du Fu, Wenshu and teaBamboo groves at Du Fu Thatched Cottage, quiet Wenshu Monastery and tea in People's…

All articles →