Liugong Island

Coordinates: 37°30′1.68″N 122°10′48.57″E / 37.5004667°N 122.1801583°E / 37.5004667; 122.1801583

Liugong Island (simplified Chinese: 刘公岛; traditional Chinese: 劉公島; pinyin: Liúgōngdǎo) (or Liu-kung Tao) is a small island located on the northeastern edge of Shandong Peninsula (or Shantung Peninsula), China at the mouth of Weihai Bay. It is known as the "birthplace of China's first modern navy".

Geography

Liugong Island is located about 4 kilometers from the city of Weihai. It has an area 3.15 square kilometers, with a maximum length of 4.08 kilometers (in east-western direction) and a maximum width of 1.5 kilometers. The coastline has a total length of 14.93 kilometers. In general, the terrain of the island slopes down from the north to the south. With an altitude of 153 meters, Qiding Mountain, is the highest point of the island. Its northern slope is made up of cliffs, whereas the southern side of the hill slopes down more gently.

More than half of the island's area (about 1.8 square kilometers) is covered by forest, predominantly consisting of black pine trees. The forest is protected by a national forestry park. On the island there is also a zoo, within which there are 2 pandas and a few other animals, of which some were gifts by the Taiwanese government to China.