 Japanese cruiser Saien (formerly the Chinese cruiser Jiyuan) at Kure in March 1895
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Imperial China | |
| Name | Jiyuan |
| Builder | AG Vulcan Stettin, Stettin, Germany |
| Laid down | 16 January 1883 |
| Launched | 1 December 1883 |
| Completed | August 1884 |
| Commissioned | 11 June 1885 |
| Fate | Prize of war to Japan, 16 March 1895 |
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Saien |
| Acquired | 16 March 1895 |
| Fate | Mined off Port Arthur, 30 November 1904 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Protected cruiser |
| Displacement | 2,300 long tons (2,337 t) |
| Length | 236 ft (71.9 m) |
| Beam | 34.5 ft (10.5 m) |
| Draught | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 2 × Compound-expansion steam engines, two shafts |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 180 |
| Armament |
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| Armour |
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Jiyuan (simplified Chinese: 济远; traditional Chinese: 濟遠; pinyin: Jiyuan, sometimes Chiyuan; Wade–Giles: Tsi Yuan), was a protected cruiser of the Imperial Chinese Navy, assigned to the Beiyang Fleet. She was constructed in Germany as China lacked the industrial facilities needed to build them at the time. Jiyuan was originally intended to be the third ironclad battleship of the Dingyuan class, but was reduced in size due to funding issues. Upon completion, she was prevented from sailing to China during the Sino-French War.
In the First Sino-Japanese War, she was involved in the Battle of Pungdo, and at the Battle of Yalu River, which resulted in the subsequent execution of her captain. She was captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a prize of war at the Battle of Weihaiwei, and commissioned as Saien (済遠 巡洋艦, Saien jun'yōkan) on 16 March 1895. Under the Japanese flag, she was used to bombard positions in the Japanese invasion of Taiwan, and was sunk on 30 November 1904 after striking a Russian mine during the Battle of Port Arthur of the Russo-Japanese War.