The Chinese Imperial Navy came into existence from 1132 during the Song Dynasty to the end of the Qing period in 1912. Prior to the 12th century, Chinese naval ships were not organized into a uniform force. After 1911, it was replaced by the Republic of China Navy and then the People's Liberation Army Navy after 1949.
Admiral (Tidu)
Fleet Commander
Squadron Commander
Pre-19th-century ships were wood and of various sizes.
fu po (warship) - 19th-century ships
hai hu or sea hawks
combat junks
louchuan (樓船) - tower ships of the Ming dynasty
mengchong or covered swoopers (艨艟): leather-covered assault warship - ships of the Three Kingdoms period
river boats - Song Dynasty
wugongchuan, or centipede ship - 16th century galley based on Portuguese types
yu ting or patrol boats
zhan xian or combat junks
zou ge or flying barques
Following the First Opium War, the Qing improved their naval fleet with modern ships from Europe:
Battleships
Cruisers
Corvettes
Dinghai - as admiralty headquarters during the 12th century
Canton (now Guangzhou) - fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th century
Foochow Arsenal, near Fuzhou (1866—1884) - fleet base of the Qing navy and naval yard and School of Naval Administration in the late 19th century; ancient shipbuilding centre
Shanghai - fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th century
Tianjin - fleet base of the Qing navy in the late 19th century and home to the Tianjin Naval Academy
Liugong Island (1888) - birthplace of the Qing navy and base from 1888 to 1898; later served as Royal Navy base until 1930
Weihaiwei - naval port; served as Royal Navy base from 1898 until 1930
Dalian - extensively developed as a modern naval base in late 19th century, only to be captured by the Japanese during the First Sino-Japanese War. Taken over by the Russians in 1898 under a 99-year lease, as the price of diplomatic intervention on the behalf of the Chinese, it became a Russian naval base until the Russo-Japanese War.
Treasure fleet - Admiral Zheng He's expeditionary fleet during his voyages in the 15th century
Beiyang Fleet - North Sea Fleet based from Tianjin established 1875
Nanyang Fleet - South Sea Fleet based from Shanghai
Guangdong Fleet - based from Canton (now Guangzhou)
Fujian Fleet - based from Fuzhou
