The first all-steel warship of the Asian country 1888.1.29 launched, 150 tons, joined the Beiyang Navy 1895.2.17 was captured by the Japanese

In 1866, General Tso (1812-1885) established the Fuzhou Ship Bureau, which was the largest shipbuilding factory at the time to manufacture and repair naval weapons and equipment.

From the 1860s to the 1890s, China launched the Westernization Movement. A number of modern military industries were established. More important ones include the Anqing Internal Ordnance Institute founded by Zeng Guofan, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau founded by Li Hongzhang, the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Bureau founded by Zuo Zongtang, and the Tianjin Machine Manufacturing Bureau founded by Chonghou. Zuo Zongtang's construction of a shipyard was planned early. In 1864, he built a small ship in Hangzhou and "tried the West Lake but didn't sail fast." In 1866, after suppressing the rest of the Taiping Army, they began to build a shipyard. He said: "Since the use of troops at sea, the fireboats of various countries in Western Thailand have gone directly to Tianjin, but the fences have been used in vain. "I think that if I want to guard against the sea and reap its benefits, I must organize the navy; if I want to organize the navy, I must set up a bureau to supervise the construction of ships. "At the same time, he pointed out: " When ships are completed, the transportation policy will be prosperous, military and political actions will relieve the difficulties of merchants and people, and customs taxes will be strong. This will cost a moment and benefit for generations. Obviously, he regards the construction of shipyards as an indispensable priority to enrich the country, strengthen the army, and benefit the people and business. With the approval of the Qing court, he negotiated a contract with the French and appointed the French Riyge (1835 - 1886) and Deke Bei (1831 - 1875) as the chief and deputy supervisors to take charge of all ship affairs. It was agreed that they would supervise the construction of 16 ships, large and small, and train China students and workers within five years from the start of construction of the iron plant. The factory site is located in Luoxing Tower in Mawei, Fuzhou, also known as Mawei Shipbuilding Administration Bureau. In addition to the iron works and shipyards, the Shipbuilding Administration Bureau also established a Shipbuilding Administration School (also known as the "Qiushi Hall Art Bureau"), which is divided into two classes. The front class learns French, mainly to cultivate shipbuilding talents; the back class learns English, mainly to cultivate driving talents.

In September 1866, General Tso was transferred to the post of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and before taking office, he recommended the former Governor of Jiangxi, Shen Baozhen (1820-1879), as Minister of Shipping.

In the process of setting up the factory, although the Shipping Administration encountered various difficulties, it gradually improved its shipbuilding technology. At first, it could only manufacture wooden shells with less than 150 horsepower, but in 1887, it made the first iron armored ship. The turbine was also changed from an old single machine to a compound machine, and the horsepower increased from 150 to 2400. It occupied a very important position in the history of modern Chinese shipbuilding.