Deng Shichang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deng Shichang
Deng Shichang
Born	(1849-10-04)4 October 1849 Panyu County, Guangzhou Prefecture, Guangdong, Qing China (present-day Haizhu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China)
Died	17 September 1894(1894-09-17) (aged 44) Korea Bay, Yellow Sea
Allegiance	Qing Dynasty
Service/branch	Imperial Chinese Navy Beiyang Fleet (1880–1894) Fujian Fleet (1874–1880)
Years of service	1874–1894
Rank	Guandai (equivalent to Captain)
Unit	Zhiyuan
Battles/wars	Battle of the Yalu River (1894)   †
Awards	Posthumously awarded the position of taizi shaobao (Tutor to the Crown Prince)

Deng Shichang (born October 4, 1849 – died September 17, 1894) was a brave naval officer from China's Qing dynasty. He is famous for being the captain of the warship Zhiyuan in the Beiyang Fleet. This was China's main navy during the late 1800s.

Deng Shichang played a key role in the First Sino-Japanese War. This war was fought between China and Japan. He led his ship, the Zhiyuan, in the Battle of the Yalu River on September 17, 1894. During this fierce battle, his ship was sunk. Deng Shichang bravely refused to be rescued. He chose to go down with his ship. After his death, the Qing government honored him as a hero. He was given the special title of taizi shaobao, which means Tutor to the Crown Prince. He was also honored in the Shrine of Loyalty in Beijing.

Deng Shichang's Early Life

Deng Shichang was born in a place called Longdaowei. This area is now part of Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province, China. His first name was "Yongchang," but it was later changed to "Shichang."

He came from a family that was quite well-off. They had a business selling tea. When Deng Shichang was a child, his father sent him to a special school in Shanghai. This was a missionary school where he learned about Western ideas and subjects.

Serving in the Fujian Fleet

In 1867, Deng Shichang joined the Naval Academy in Mawei, Fujian. He was one of the first students to attend this new academy. He studied there for seven years. Five years were spent learning theories and subjects in classrooms. The next two years were practical training on a ship called the Jianwei.

Deng Shichang finished his studies in 1874. He did very well and impressed Shen Baozhen, who was a naval minister. After graduating, Deng joined the Fujian Fleet. He was made a bangdai, which was like a Commander. He served on a scout transport boat called Chenhang. The next year, he was promoted to guandai, which is like a Captain. He then commanded a gunboat called Haidongyun.

In May 1874, Japan invaded Taiwan. Deng Shichang was ordered to lead Chinese forces. Their job was to strengthen the defenses in Keelung and the Pescadores. He was also given a military rank called qianzong.

Serving in the Beiyang Fleet

In 1880, Deng Shichang moved to the Beiyang Fleet. He was sent to Britain to bring back a new warship called the Yangwei. When he returned to China, he became the Captain of the Yangwei.

In 1887, he went to Britain again. This time, he brought back another new ship, the protected cruiser Zhiyuan. He then became the Captain of the Zhiyuan. He was also promoted to a higher position in the Beiyang Fleet's main office. At that time, Deng Shichang was the only Captain in the Beiyang Fleet who had not been trained outside of China.

In 1891, a very important official named Li Hongzhang inspected the Beiyang Fleet. He was very impressed with how Deng Shichang trained his sailors. Because of this, Deng was given an honorary title called baturu.

The Battle of the Yalu River

The Battle of the Yalu River took place on September 17, 1894. This was a major naval battle during the First Sino-Japanese War. It was fought between the Chinese Qing Empire and the Empire of Japan.

At the start of the battle, Captain Deng Shichang bravely attacked the Japanese command ship, the Sei-Kyo Maru. He caused a lot of damage to it. However, the Japanese ships then attacked the Zhiyuan. Four Japanese cruisers surrounded the Zhiyuan. They fired their cannons much faster than the Chinese gunners. The Chinese cannons were also older.

Deng Shichang ordered the Zhiyuan to get very close to a Japanese ship called the Naniwa. He planned to ram it, which means crashing into it. But at 3:50 PM, the Zhiyuan was hit in the front by a powerful shell. This caused a huge explosion. The Zhiyuan quickly sank. About 245 officers and crew members went down with the ship. Captain Deng Shichang refused to be saved. He chose to drown with his ship and even his pet dog.

Honors After His Death

After the battle, some leaders of the Beiyang Fleet did not agree with Deng's decision to die. They thought it was heroic, but it also meant losing a ship and its captain. They worried other captains might do the same. So, they created new rules for naval officers. Li Hongzhang also felt that Deng's choice to drown was not something to praise. He told other military leaders not to follow Deng's example.

However, Deng Shichang's death made many people in China feel very proud and sad. The Guangxu Emperor was very moved. He wrote that Deng's brave act had boosted the navy's spirit. The Qing government gave Deng the special name "Zhuangjie," which means "courageous and pure." They also gave him the title of taizi shaobao (Tutor to the Crown Prince). He was honored as a hero in the Shrine of Loyalty in Beijing.

Deng's mother received a gold plaque. It weighed 1.5 kilograms and had the words "Excellent Upbringing of a Child" on it. Deng's family was also given 100,000 silver coins as a pension. His family used this money to build a special shrine in his hometown. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army did not damage this shrine. This was because they respected and admired Deng Shichang.

Deng Shichang's Family

Deng Shichang had three sons and two daughters. His oldest son, Deng Haohong, passed away in 1947. His second son, Deng Haoyang, died when he was quite young. His third son, Deng Haoqian, was born after Deng Shichang's death. He served in the Republic of China Navy and died in 1969.

PLA Navy Training Ship

In 1996, the People's Liberation Army Navy named one of its training ships Shichang. This was done to remember and honor Deng Shichang.

Deng Shichang in Movies

Many actors have played Deng Shichang in movies and TV shows:

• Li Moran, in the 1962 Chinese film Jia Wu Feng Yun
• Chen Baoguo, in the 1992 Chinese TV series The Beiyang Fleet
• Lu Yi, in the 2012 Chinese film The Sino-Japanese War at Sea 1894