Chinese cruiser Jingyuan (1886)

The Jingyuan (simplified Chinese: 靖远; traditional Chinese: 靖遠; pinyin: Jìngyuǎn) was a protected cruiser built for the Imperial Chinese Navy as part of the Beiyang Fleet. She was one of two Zhiyuan-class cruisers, her sister ship being the Zhiyuan.

Jingyuan was constructed by AG Vulcan Stettin in Germany. Her design was a scaled-down version of the Chilean cruiser Esmeralda (later Izumi of the Imperial Japanese Navy). She was laid down in 1885, launched in 1886, and completed in 1887.

Like her sister ship, Jingyuan was considered a fast and well-armed vessel for her time, though she suffered from similar design flaws, including inadequate armor protection for her waterline and critical machinery. Her armament consisted of two 210 mm (8.3 in) Krupp guns in barbettes, one forward and one aft, along with smaller caliber guns for close-range defense.

Jingyuan participated in the Battle of the Yalu River in 1894 during the First Sino-Japanese War. During the battle, she sustained heavy damage and contributed to the general disarray of the Chinese fleet. Despite the damage, she survived the battle and retreated to Port Arthur.

Later, during the Japanese siege of Weihaiwei in 1895, Jingyuan was torpedoed and sunk by Japanese forces in Weihaiwei harbor. The loss of Jingyuan, along with other vessels in the Beiyang Fleet, marked a significant defeat for China in the war and signaled the decline of Chinese naval power. Her wreck remained submerged in the harbor for many years.