Liugong Island(Chinese:刘公岛;pinyin:liúgōngdǎo), off the Shandong Peninsula, is probably one of the tiniest isles along China's long coastline, yet it weighs heavily in the nation's psychology.
The 3.15-square-kilometer island was the birthplace of China's navy, the Northern Fleet, in 1888. Yet, only six year later, the fleet was defeated by the Japanese navy during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95).
The Sino-Japanese War Museum is the main spot where one can understand this unique island.
Occupying an area of 100,000 square meters, or the size of 14 soccer fields, the museum holds dozens of important historical sites from the war, such as the Northern Fleet Commanding Office, Longwang Temple, Commander Ding Ruchang's Residence, Memorial Hall of Northern Fleet Martyrs, Naval Academy, and three batteries.