Weihai History & Culture

Weihai City boasts a long history, with human settlements dating back to the mid-Neolithic period. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the area now encompassed by the present-day city was part of the Eastern Yuyi region, inhabited by the Laiyi people. In 568 AD (the fourth year of the Tian Tong era of the Northern Qi Dynasty), Wendeng County was established within its territory, encompassing the entire present-day city area. In 1398 (the thirty-first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty), Weihaiwei was established to defend against Japanese pirates and to project power over the sea frontier. On June 15, 1987, Weihai City was upgraded to a prefecture-level city. Weihai City is a regional central city of the Shandong Peninsula, an important marine industry base, and a coastal tourist city, as approved by the State Council. The city has 51 national A-level or higher scenic spots, including two national AAAAA-level scenic spots (Liugong Island Scenic Area and Huaxia City Scenic Area), as well as mountain scenic areas such as Kunyu Mountain, Shengjing Mountain, Likou Mountain, Tiecha Mountain, and Darushan Mountain. It is the birthplace of the Beiyang Fleet, China's first modern navy, and the site of the First Sino-Japanese War. It was one of the "Seven Sons" of China that were occupied by foreign powers after the war and later returned to the motherland. It was among the first batch of coastal cities opened to the outside world, the first National Sanitary City in China, and one of the first National Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Cities.