The shipyard was constructed under orders from Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang and was situated in Mamoi (now Mawei), a port town within the jurisdiction of Fuzhou (then romanized as "Foochow"), which is several miles up the Min River.
Galangan kapal dibangun di bawah perintah Li Hongzhang dan Zuo Zongtang dan terletak di Mamoi (sekarang Mawei), sebuah kota pelabuhan di dalam yurisdiksi Fuzhou (kemudian diromanisasi sebagai "Foochow"), yang beberapa mil di atas Sungai Min.