Chinese cruiser Yangwei Yangwei ( ) was a cruiser in the late Qing Dynasty Beiyang Fleet . Its sister ship was the . The Imperial Japanese Navy warship was built to the same designs . and the " Tsukushi " built for Japan was of the same model . Background . The design for " Yangwei " was advertised by its designer British naval architect Sir George Wightwick Rendel at the Armstrong Whitworth shipyards at Newcastle upon Tyne in England as an example of a low - cost cruiser able to withstand larger Ironclad warship s . In theory , the ship would rely on its small size and higher speed , along with a higher muzzle velocity main battery to attack larger , more cumbersome foes – very similar to the principles of Jeune Ecole , as promoted by French naval architect Emile Bertin . However , the British Admiralty was very skeptical of the idea , and had concerns over the seaworthiness of the design in the North Sea , and did not order any of the design for the Royal Navy . Armstrong Whitworth turned to overseas clients instead ; however , rapid technological advances in ship design and naval artillery ( with the advent of large calibre quick - firing gun s ) rendered the design with its weak armor and small guns obsolete within a few years . Design . " Yangwei " had an all - steel construction with waterproof bulkheads , a single smokestack , and twin masts , which could also be used for sails . The prow was reinforced for ramming . The power plant was a double expansion reciprocating steam engine with four cylindrical boilers driving twin screws . The ship had a number of technical innovations , including a hydraulic steering system and electrical incandescent light fixtures . The ship ’ s main armament were breech - loading 10 - inch Armstrong Whitworth cannons , one on the bow and one on the stern , mounted in stationary gun shield s . The ship also had four 5 . 1 - inch guns , ( two to each side ) , two 57 - mm long guns , four 11 mm Gatling gun s , four 37 mm Hotchkiss gun s , two 4 - barreled Nordenfeldt gun s , as well as two torpedo tube s . Service record . " Yangwei " was laid down on 25 January 1880 , launched on 29 January 1881 , completed on 15 July 1881 , and sailed back to Weihaiwei on 22 November 1881 together with her sister ship , " Chaoyong " . The cost for both ships was 65 million taels of silver . Construction was rushed , due to strained relations between China and Russian Empire over the Ili River in Central Asia . On arrival , " Chaoyong " and " Yangwei " were both assigned to the Beiyang Fleet . As relations between China and the Empire of Japan became increasing strained over Korea , both vessels were dispatched to Incheon in a show of force . In 1886 , both vessels were part of the fleet let by Admiral Ding Ruchang , calling on Hong Kong , the Japanese port of Nagasaki , Korean ports of Busan and Wonsan , and the Russian naval base of Vladivostok . However , due to poor maintenance , by 1890 , " Yangwei " could achieve a maximum speed of only 10 knots , and many of her weapons were not operational . These issues were not addressed by the time of the First Sino - Japanese War , and despite the state of the vessel , Admiral Ding placed " Yangwei " in the line of battle during the Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894 . She was attacked by the Japanese flying squadron consisting of the cruisers , , , and , which fired high explosive shells from their quick - firing 6 - inch and 4 . 7 - inch guns . Guns from " Matsushima " scored a number of direct hits . Within a few minutes , fires broke out on " Yangwei " , which quickly engulfed the central superstructure with its numerous wooden partitions covered with thick layers of flammable varnish . Her steering disabled , she collided with in the battle and sank in shallow water . Some of her crew survived by clinging to her masts , which remained above water .