Ai River 靉河

Tributary of the Yalu River, it flowed along the border between Qing China and Korea, entering the Yalu River near Jiuliancheng. During the Sino-Japanese War there was fierce fighting along the banks of the river between the Japanese forces, who had crossed the Yalu River and entered Chinese territory, and the Qing army who had come to intercept them.

Asan 牙山

City located in the centre of the Korean Peninsula, 90 km south of Hanseong [Seoul] and 110 km north of Jeonju. When the Korean government asked China for military assistance during the Donghak Peasant Rebellion, the Chinese forces travelled by sea and on 8 June 1894 established a base at Asan, between Hanseong and Jeonju which was occupied by the Peasant Army. Later Japan also despatched troops and fighting broke out. When on 29 July the Chinese forces in nearby Seonghwan were defeated by the Japanese, the Chinese army units in Asan, deciding that the topography was unsuitable for fighting, had already moved out and the area was occupied by the Japanese army.

Busan 釜山

City located in the south-east of the Korean Peninsula. Because of its prooximity to Japan it was an important centre for communication and trade between the Korean eninsula and the Japanese archipelago from ancient times and in the Middle Ages a Japanese settlement called the Wakan (Korean: Waegwan) was established. It was opened to foreign trade in 1880 under the terms of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 and thereafter developed rapidly. During the first part of the Sino-Japanese War it was used by the Japanese army, which at that time had not gained control of the Yellow Sea, to land forces on the Korean Peninsula before they marched on to Hanseong or to the scene of the fighting in China.

Fenghuangcheng 鳳凰城

City located 100 km north-east of the top of the Liaodong Peninsula and 40 km north-west of Jiuliancheng. Today it is Fengcheng City, part of the city of Dandong in Liaoning Province. During the Sino-Japanese War it was a strategic point for the Chinese army to intercept the Japanese forces heading from Jiuliancheng towards Fengtian. When the Japanese army began its attack the Chinese withdrew and Fenghuangcheng was quickly occupied by the Japanese.

Fengtian Prefecture 奉天府

City located 200km north of the top of the Liaodong Peninsula which today is the city of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province. An important centre since the Later Jin Dynasty (1616–1636) (precursor of the Qing Dynasty) when it was for a time the Manchu capital and called Mukden. When the Manchu changed the name of their dynasty from Later Jin to Qing and moved their capital to Beijing, they established Fengtian Prefecture as a secondary capital and it prospered as the centre of the north-eastern region of Qing China. During the Sino-Japanese War Fengtian itself did not see any fighting but the Japanese army advanced as far as Haicheng, belongs to wider terriotory of Fengtian Prefecture, and engaged the Chinese army in battle. Later, in 1905, Fengtian was the scene of the Battle of Mukden, the last large-scale fighting of the Russo-Japanese War.

Ganghwa Island 江華島

Island off the west coast of the central region of the Korean Peninsula. Located where the Han River, after flowing through the capital Hanseong [Seoul], enters the Yellow Sea, it was of strategic importance for the protection of Hanseong. In the 1860s and 1870s when foreign gunboats came to demand that Korea open its ports, they made the island their base and carried out surveys before advancing towards Hanseong which this led to many clashes with Korean troops. In 1876 the "Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity", allowing Japan to trade with Korea, was signed here and is hence also known as the "Treaty of Ganghwa".

Haicheng 海城

City located 80 km north-east of the top of the Liaoning Peninsula, nowadays the city of Haicheng within Anshan City, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China. In the late Qing Dynasty it formed part of Fengtian Prefecture and was an important transport and communication centre. For this reason the Chinese army selected it as its base in the Sino-Japanese War but the city fell to an attack by the Japanese 1st Army and was captured. Even after its occupation Haicheng was the scene of fierce fighting as the Chinese sought to win it back.

Han River 漢江

Major river which flows through the centre of the Korean Peninsula and into the Yellow Sea. The Hanseong, capital of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty (modern Seoul) was located on the banks of the lower reaches of the river. At the time of the French Campaign against Korea in 1866, French gunboats sailed up the Han River and anchored near Hanseong.

Hanseong 漢城

Capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Located in the centre of the Korean Peninsula it is today the city of Seoul. It was also known as Gyeongseong, a name which was frequently used by the Japanese in its Japanese pronunication of Keijō. The city was the focal point of the country, the seat of the royal court from which the king ruled and in the years before the Sino-Japanese War, it was the scene of intense power struggles at court. The Japanese legation was also located in Hanseong and became heavily embroiled in these struggles. In the Imo Incident (1882) and the Gapsin Coup (1884), both China and Japan sent troops to Hanseong, increasing tension between them and the despatch of forces by both countries during the Donghak Peasant Rebellion triggered the Sino-Japanese War.

Incheon 仁川

Port on the west coast of the central region of the Korean Peninsula originally named Chemulpo [Jemulpo]. It stands to the south of the estuary where the Han River, after flowing through the capital Hanseong [Seoul], enters the Yellow Sea and was the gateway to Hanseong for sea routes. When, under the terms of the Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity, Incheon was first opened to foregin trade in 1883 it was a small port but soon expanded into a port city. On the eve of the Sino-Japanese War Japanese troops bound for Hanseong landed at Incheon. Subsequent reinforcements arriving in Korea also used the port.

Jeonju 全州

City in the south of the Korean Peninsula which prospered under the Joseon Dynasty as the capital of Jeolla Province. When the Donghak Peasant Rebellion broke out in the Spring of 1894, the Peasant Army's first armed uprising was in Gobu in Jeolla Province and at the end of May the rebels occupied Jeonju. Immediately afterwards a peace treaty is said to have been concluded here between the Peasant Army and the Korean government. and the armed uprising ceased for a while. At the same time units of the Chinese army sent to put down the rebellion were garrisoned in Jeonju but were defeated almost at once by the advancing Japanese forces.

Jinzhou 金州

City located at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. Today it is Jinzhou District of the city of Dalian, Liaoning Province in the People's Republic of China. From ancient times it prospered because of its strategic position linking Dalian and Lüshun (Port Arthur) to its west with the mainland China. At the time of the Sino-Japanese War it was a fortified city surrounded by defensive walls. When the Japanese 2nd Army landed on the Liaodong Peninsula in November 1894 Jinzhou was the scene of fighting between the Chinese and Japanese forces. It was subsequently occupied by the Japanese army. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) it witnessed heavy fighting between Russia and Japan.

Jiuliancheng 九連城

City on the western (Chinese) bank of the Yalu River about 35 km from the estuary. During the Sino-Japanese War it was the scene of fighting between Japanese forces who were crossing the river and the Chinese forces sent to intercept them. When the Japanese army surrounded and bombarded the city, the Chinese forces withdrew. In the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Jiuliancheng once again saw heavy fighting.

Lianshanguan 連山関

Located 130 km east of the head of the Liaodong Peninsula roughly halfway between Fenghuangcheng and Fengtian Prefecture. Situated in a cool, mountainous area it became popular as a summer resort. During the Sino-Japanese War it was the site of a battle between the Chinese army and Japanese forces advancing from Fenghuangcheng towards Fengtian.

Liaodong Peninsula 遼東半島

Pensinsula situated to the north of the Yellow Sea and to the east of the Bohai Sea. At the south-eastern side of the peninsula lies the mouth of the Yalu River, on the other side of which is the Korean Peninsula. At the western end of the peninsula is a promontory where the strategic towns of Dalian and Lüshun (Port Arthur) are located. During the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army advanced by land to attack the key points at the eastern end of the peninsula and by sea, landing on the promontory to make assaults on Port Arthur etc. After the war, the peninsula was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki but this was rescinded shortly afterwards following the Triple Intervention. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 the area once again became the scene of fierce fighting. Under the terms of the Treaty of Portsmouth which ended the war, an agreement between Japan and China over Manchuria leased Kwantung, including the promontory (Port Arthur and Dalian districts) for 25 years (extended to 99 years under the Twenty One Demands of 1915). Later Port Arthur became the headquarters of the Kwantung Army.

Lüshun / Port Arthur 旅順

City located western tip of Liaodong Peninsula, nowadays part of the city of Dalian in Liaoning Province of the People's Republic of China. Provided with a fine natural harbour, from the 1870s Lüshun was developed by the Qing as a military port and became a base for the Beiyang Fleet. The narrow harbour mouth is called Lüshunkou. In the West it is known as Port Arthur. During the Sino-Japanese War, the Japan sought to block the movements of the Chinese fleet and so the Japanese 2nd Army landed nearby, launched an attack on Port Arthur and captured both the port and the town. Under the Treaty of Shimonoseki it became Japanese territory for a time but was returned to China following the Triple Intervention. In 1898 it was ceded to Russia and fortified as a base for the Russian fleet, becoming a focus for fierce fighting during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Kwantung Province, including Port Arthur and Dalian, subsequently became a Japanese concession and the headquarters of the Kwantung Army.

Pungdo 豊島

Island off the west coast of the central region of the Korean Peninsula, 50 km south-west of Incheon. On 25 July 1894 on the eve of the Sino-Japanese War (before the declaration of war) this was the site of an encounter between the Japanese and Chinese fleets (transport convoy) known as the Battle of Pungdo.

Pyongyang 平壌

City situated in the north of the Korean Peninsula which today is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. During the Joseon Period it was the capital of Pyongyang Province. In the General Sherman Incident of 1866, the US merchant ship General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River and anchored at Yanggak Island (a sandbank in the river) near Pyongyang. During the Sino-Japanese War the city was a stronghold for the Qing army and on 15 September 1894 the Battle of Pyongyang, the first large-scale fighting of the war, took place here.

Seonghwan 成歓

Located in the central region of the Korean Peninsula, 75 km south of Hanseong, 130 km north of Jeonju, Seonghwan was a staging-post on the road to Jeonju. When the Korean government asked China for military assistance during the Donghak Peasant Rebellion, Chinese army units established a base at Asan on 8 June 1894. They also built a camp near Seonghwan to the north-east of Asan. However, on 29 July the Chinese were defeated by Japanese forces advancing to attack Asan.

Shandong Peninsula 山東半島

Peninsula which forms the southern edge of the Bohai Sea. Its northern coast faces the Liaoning Peninsula across the Bohai Strait dividing the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Weihaiwei, situated on the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula, was the base of Qing China's Beiyang Fleet making it the focus of land and sea attacks by Japanese forces during the Sino-Japanese War which resultedf in the fleet's destruction. After the war the Jiaozhou (Kiautschou/Kiaochow) Bay region on the southern coast of the peninsula became a German concession. Japan would long remain deeply concerned with the question of the railway built during the Germany occupation and the interests of the region.

Taedong (Daedong) River 大同江

Major river which flows through the north-west of the Korean Peninsula into the Yellow Sea. Pyongyang lies on its lower reaches. In 1866 it was site of the General Sherman Incident, when the US armed merchant ship General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River and anchored at Yanggak Island near Pyongyang seeking to conduct trade to with Korea.

Tainan 台南

City located on the south-west coast of the island of Taiwan. Under the Ming Dynasty it was the base for the Dutch East India Company (VOC)'s rule of Taiwan (1624-1662). Then it became the capital of Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong 鄭成功)'s government (1662-1683) and developed as Taiwan's chief centre. When the Qing established Taiwan Province in 1885 the capital was moved to central Taiwan (modern Taichung) and Tainan ceased to be the seat of government. However, it continued to occupy an important position in the Taiwanese economy as the focus of commercial activity in the southern part of the island. When opponents of the cession of Taiwan to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki set up the Republic of Formosa, Tainan regained its former prominence under Liu Yongfu (Liu Yungfu) who became head of government following the flight of President Tang Jingsong. However the Republic of Formosa collapsed as a result of Japanese attack and on 21 October 1895 Tainan too fell to the Japanese.

Taipei (Taibei) 台北

City located in the north of the island of Taiwan. It began to develop under the Qing Dynasty and with the establishment of Taipeh (Taipei) Prefecture became a major administrative centre. However, it really became a city only when the Qing government started a fully-fledged development programme after the establishment of Taiwan Province in 1885. When the cession of Taiwan to Japan was agreed under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the Office of the Governor-General was located in Taipei and it became the centre of Japanese rule over Taiwan and the Pescadores. The Japanese army occupied the area on 7 June 1895 and on 17 June the inauguration ceremony for the Office of the Governor-General took place. For the next 50 years, until the Office of the Governor-General capitulated to the Republic of China on 25 Oct 1945, Taipei remained the centre for Japanese rule of Taiwan.

Weihaiwei 威海衛

City located at the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula, nowadays the city of Weihai in Shandong Province of the People's Republic of China. From ancient times it had been an important centre for transport and communication with the Korean peninsula. During the Ming Dynasty a military base was constructed and in the late Qing Dynasty it served as the home port for the Beiyang Fleet. During the Sino-Japanese War the Beiyang Fleet took shelter here following heavy losses in the Battle of the Yalu River and other engagements. However, when Japanese forces landed on the Shandong Peninsula and attacked Weihaiwei from land and sea the city fell and the Fleet was destroyed. After the Sino-Japanese War Weihaiwei became a Leased Territory of the UK and was also known at Port Edward.

Wonsan 元山

Harbour city on the eastern coast of at the top of the Korean Peninsula. Originally a fishing village Wonsan was opened to foreign trade in 1880 under the terms of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 and developed rapidly. During the first part of the Sino-Japanese War it was used by the Japanese army, which at that time had not gained control of the Yellow Sea, to land forces on the Korean Peninsula before they marched on to Hanseong or to the scene of the fighting in China.

Yalu River 鴨緑江

Major river which originates on Mount Baekdu at the top of the Korean Peninsula and flows west into the Yellow Sea. It formed the border between Qing China and Korea (nowadays it is the border between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea). During the Sino-Japanese War, units of the Japanese army marched north through the Korean Peninsula, crossed the Yalu River and invaded China. The main site of the fighting then shifted from Korea to China.

Yellow Sea 黄海

Body of water surrounded by the Chinese mainland (Shandong and Liaodong Peninsulas) and the Korean Peninsula. To the south it links with the South China Sea and to the west with the Bohai Sea. During the Sino-Japanese War it was the scene of the Battle of Pungdo and the Battle of the Yalu River and of much other military activity both when Chinese and Japanese forces landed in Korea at the outset of the war and later when the Japanese army landed on the Liaoning and Shandong Peninsulas.