History of Weihai

Weihaiwei was the base for the Beiyang Fleet during the Qing Dynasty. In 1895, the Japanese captured it in the Battle of Weihaiwei, which is regarded as the last major battle of the First Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese then evacuated on 24 May 1898, when it was then occupied by the British. Since 2003, the Chinese battleship Dingyuan has been anchored here as a museum ship and memorial honouring Chinese personnel who fought in that war.

Weihaiwei was under British rule from 1 July 1898, under lease agreement with the Chinese empire, until 1930, with ‘Port Edward’ (Weihaiwei city) as capital. A Royal Navy base was built on Liugong Island. Weihaiwei became a special administrative region after it was returned to the Republic of China in 1930, but Liugong Island and its facilities were leased back to the U.K. until 1940.

In 1938, the Roman Catholic Independent Mission of Weihai was promoted to Apostolic Prefecture of Weihai but it has been vacant (dormant) since 1970. Weihaiwei was occupied by the Japanese from 1938 to 1945. There was a withdrawal of most British forces and supplies from Liugong Island, and finally a Japanese military landing and occupation of the island in 1940.

The region was formally incorporated into Shandong province on 10 May 1945. In 1949, Weihaiwei City was established, and its name was shortened to Weihai after the Communist revolution.

Source From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihai#History