Chih Yuen (also known as Zhiyuan or Chih Yuan) was a late 19th century British-built Chinese armored cruiser. The keel for this installation was laid in 1885, launched in September 1886, and commissioned in 1887. The total length of the ship was 82 meters and the width was 12 meters. The displacement was about 2,300 tons, and the maximum speed was up to 18 knots. At the time of launching, the ship's armament included: 3 guns of 210 mm caliber, 2 guns of 152 mm caliber or 4 torpedo tubes. Chih Yuen was built to a Chinese order at the British Armstrong Whitworth shipyard in Elswick. She was the main unit of Zhiyuan-type cruisers, which consisted of only two units. Both units of this class were created in connection with the desire to modernize the Chinese fleet, which the Chinese politician and military leader Li Hongzhang tried to implement. The unit also had an early and very primitive fire control system that allowed the commander to fire a full volley of the main artillery. The cruiser took part in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). During it, he participated in the battle at the mouth of the Yalu River (1894), during which he was sunk by Japanese units on September 17.
