America Maru ( 亜米利加丸 , Amerika-Maru ) was the second of three high speed passenger liners built for the Oriential Steamship Company (Tōyō Kisen). Converted into an armed merchantman during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, she played a crucial role in the Battle of Tsushima . Although used as a hospital ship during the early part of World War II , she had been chartered by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a transport in 1943, and was sunk by the United States Navy in 1944 with great loss of civilian lives.
41-846: Asano Sōichirō , owner of the Asano zaibatsu , decided that he wished to create a shipping company, and founded Tōyō Kisen in July 1896. With the assistance of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company , orders were placed with the Wigham Richardson shipyards at Newcastle upon Tyne in England for three vessels. Asano's stipulation was that the vessels have the clean, sharp lines of clipper ships , and were to be painted white. Up until this time, Japanese shipping companies mainly concentrated on local traffic with China. However, Asano intended to compete against
82-710: A hospital ship . In accordance with the International Red Cross and international norms, she was painted white with prominent red crosses on her funnels, and an official notice was sent to all belligerent countries by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was rerated as a transport sometime in 1943. She was chartered by the Imperial Japanese Navy on January 12, 1944. On May 14, 1944, while attempting to evacuate Japanese civilians, mostly women and children, from Saipan to Yokosuka, Kanagawa , she
123-568: A samurai family in the Toyama region . His Y-DNA is D1a2a1a2b1a1a8a (D-CTS4093). He was Doctor Asano Taijun's son. He was originally named Asano Taijiro. Although He studied medicine, he began business in his hometown and failed. He lost his money and did moonlight flit to Tokyo . He sold drinking water as a street vendor. Then he moved to Yokohama , bought coke (fuel) , which a gas company threw away, sold it to Fukagawa Cement Works, and became very rich. He purchased Fukagawa Cement Works from
164-464: A ting or sub-prefecture. Around the same time, the name was changed from Ke-lang ( 雞籠廳 ) to Kilong ( 基隆廳 ), which means "rich and prosperous land". The city suffered serious damage and lost hundreds of inhabitants during an earthquake and tsunami in 1867 . The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.0 and was caused by movement on a nearby fault . During the Sino-French War (1884–85),
205-620: A clearly marked hospital ship carrying civilians as a war crime . However, it had been reverted to a transport ship in December 1943, and was known to have carried munitions via radio intercepts. Asano S%C5%8Dichir%C5%8D Asano Sōichirō ( 浅野 総一郎 , April 13, 1848 – November 9, 1930) was a Japanese businessman responsible for founding a number of companies, including what became today's Sapporo Breweries , Toa Construction Corporation , Oki Electric Industry , JFE Group and Taiheiyo Cement (formerly Asano Cement ). He came from
246-580: A false report to the Daoguang Emperor , claiming to have beaten off a British attack against Keelung. In October 1841, the Royal Navy sloop HMS Nimrod sailed to Keelung to search for survivors of Nerbudda , but after they found out the Chinese sent them south for imprisonment, Nimrod bombarded the city's port, destroying 27 cannon before returning to British Hong Kong . Most of the survivors—over 130 from
287-545: A few Spanish Filipinos from Spanish Philippines and rarely Mexican Criollo Spaniards from New Spain (Mexico) as Catholic friar missionaries and colonial leaders, with the Latin Americans from New Spain (Mexico) brought over to North Taiwan from Manila through the Manila-Acapulco Galleons . From 1642 to 1661 and 1663–1668, Keelung was under Dutch control. The Dutch East India Company took over
328-629: A fire aboard the ship caused severe damage, and she was not ready for use until February 1905. Under the command of Captain Ishibashi Hajime in April 1905, she was based at Tsushima Island as one of seven armed merchantmen and three torpedo boat tenders assigned to patrols of the Tsushima Strait to search for the Russian Baltic Fleet , which had been dispatched around the world to relieve
369-455: A minor zaibatsu ( Asano zaibatsu ). His Nippon Chuya Bank was unsuccessful, so he sold it to Yasuda zaibatsu in 1922. Asano zaibatsu kept minor because it did not include a bank and was ranked fifth in scale. Asano is called " the cement king ." Asano also reclaimed Tokyo bay from 1913 to 1927, made a coastal industrial zone (Keihin Kogyo Chitai) and established the forerunner of
410-453: A rainy summer day, much like the rest of northern Taiwan. However its location on northern mountain slopes means that due to orographic lift , rainfall is heavier during fall and winter, the latter during which a northeasterly flow prevails. During summer, southwesterly winds dominate and thus there is a slight rain shadow effect . Fog is most serious during winter and spring, when relative humidity levels are also highest. Zhongzheng District
451-498: A yearly rainfall average upwards of 3,700 millimetres (146 in). It has long been noted as one of the wettest and gloomiest cities in the world; the effect is related to the Kuroshio Current . Although it is one of the coolest cities of Taiwan, winters are still short and warm, whilst summers are long, relatively dry and hot, temperatures can peek above 26 °C during a warm winter day, while it can dip below 27 °C during
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#1733085937526492-636: Is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan . The city is part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area with neighboring New Taipei City and Taipei . Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport (after Kaohsiung ), and was the world's 7th largest port in 1984. In 1626, the Spanish established Fort San Salvador at present-day Keelung, an area inhabited by Taiwanese indigenous peoples . Control of
533-508: Is located in Zhongshan District . The installed capacity of the power plant is 2,000 MW. National Museum of Marine Science and Technology Baimiweng Fort , Dawulun Fort , Gongzi Liao Fort , Keelung Fort Commander's Official Residence , Nuannuan Ande Temple , Pengjia Lighthouse , Uhrshawan Battery and Xian Dong Yan . Taiwan's second largest port, the Port of Keelung , is located in
574-472: Is more likely that the name was derived from the first inhabitants of the region, as are the names of many other Taiwanese cities. In this case, the Ketagalan people were the first inhabitants, and early Han settlers probably approximated "Ketagalan" with Ke-lâng ( Ketagalan : ke- , "domain marker prefix" + Taiwanese Hokkien Chinese : 儂 / 人 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : lâng ; lit. 'person'),
615-411: Is separated from its neighboring county by mountains in the east, west and south. The northern part of the city faces the ocean and is a great deep water harbor since early times. Keelung also administers the nearby Keelung Islet as well as the more distant and strategically important Pengjia Islet , Mianhua Islet and Huaping Islet . Keelung has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) with
656-518: Is the mid-summer Ghost Festival . The Keelung Ghost Festival is among the oldest in Taiwan, dating back to 1851 after bitter clashes between rival clans, which claimed many lives before mediators stepped in. By 2021, there was a group of people who originated from the Matsu Islands . Coal mining peaked in 1968. The city developed quickly and by 1984, the harbor was the 7th largest container harbor in
697-600: Is the seat of Keelung City which houses the Keelung City Government and Keelung City Council . The current Mayor of Keelung is George Hsieh of the Kuomintang . Keelung has seven (7) districts : Keelung City voted one Democratic Progressive Party legislator Tsai Shih-Ying to be in the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 Republic of China legislative election . One of the most popular festivals in Taiwan
738-558: Is written as Jīlóng (the shift from initial K to J is a recent development in the Beijing dialect, see Old Mandarin ). Keelung was first inhabited by the Ketagalan , a tribe of Taiwanese aborigine . The Spanish expedition to Formosa in the early 17th century was its first contact with the West; by 1624 the Spanish had built San Salvador de Quelung , a fort in Keelung serving as an outpost of
779-565: The Japanese blockade of Port Arthur . On the night of May 26–27 Shinano Maru , America Maru , Sado Maru and Manshu Maru were deployed as a lookout screen in the strait between Gotō Islands and Jeju-do . Shinano Maru ' s early contact with the Russian fleet was a major contributing factor in the decisive Japanese victory at the Battle of Tsushima . After the battle, America Maru located
820-566: The Manila -based Spanish East Indies . The Spanish ruled it as a part of Spanish Formosa . Besides the native Taiwanese aborigines, the Spanish authorities from Spanish Manila settled North Taiwan (especially Keelung and Tamsui ) with a mixture of Sangley Chinese (primarily Fujianese traders), Christian Japanese , native Filipinos (e.g. Kapampangan , Tagalogs , etc.) as merchants and laborers, and some Mexican Mestizos , Mulattos , Blacks , Mexican Amerindians as soldiers and laborers and
861-612: The Nerbudda and 54 from the Ann —were summarily executed by the Chinese in August 1842. In 1863, the Qing Empire opened up Keelung as a trading port and the city enjoyed rapid development due to the abundant commodities such as placer gold and high quality coal found in the drainage area of Keelung River . In 1875, Taipeh Prefecture was created and included Keelung. In 1878, Keelung was formed into
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#1733085937526902-537: The Pacific Mail Steamship Company , Canadian Pacific , and other foreign shippers on trade to India and Europe, as well as North America. America Maru was laid down in March 1897, launched on March 9, 1898 and completed on September 24 of the same year. On her maiden voyage, America Maru called at Hong Kong – Xiamen - Shanghai – Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kobe and on to Honolulu and San Francisco . With her sister ships , Nippon Maru and Hong Kong Maru , she
943-759: The Qing dynasty failed, he fled to Japan aboard America Maru , which was in Tianjin conveying supplies to Japanese forces involved in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion . With the start of the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904, America Maru was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) for use as an armed merchant cruiser and began conversion at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 15 February 1904. However,
984-574: The French attempted an invasion of Taiwan during the Keelung Campaign. Liu Mingchuan , who led the defence of Taiwan, recruited Aboriginals to serve alongside the Chinese soldiers in fighting against the French of Colonel Jacques Duchesne 's Formosa Expeditionary Corps. The French were defeated at the Battle of Tamsui and the Qing forces pinned the French down at Keelung in an eight-month-long campaign before
1025-519: The French withdrew. A systematic city development started during the Japanese Era, after the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki , which handed all Taiwan over to Japan. A five-phase construction of Keelung Harbor was initiated, and in by 1916 trade volume had exceeded even those of Tamsui and Kaohsiung Harbors to become one of the major commercial harbors of Taiwan. Keelung was governed as Kīrun town ( 基隆街 ) , Kīrun District, Taihoku Prefecture in 1920 and
1066-624: The IJN in 1914. Returned her owners in early 1918. Requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) on 28 April 1928 and again on 5 May 1928. Apparently returned to owners by February 1932 and resumed commercial operations. She was damaged by a typhoon while docked at Kobe on September 21, 1934. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, America Maru was requisitioned by the IJA as
1107-609: The JR Tsurumi Line there, located between Tokyo and Yokohama. Asano Station is named after him. He is called " father of Keihin industrial area " now. He founded Asano High School in 1920, and Asano Institute of Technology in 1925. This article incorporates text from OpenHistory. Keelung Keelung ( / k iː ˈ l ʊ ŋ / kee- LUUNG ; Chinese : 基隆; pinyin : Jīlóng ; Hokkien : Ke-lâng), Chilung or Jilong ( / dʒ iː ˈ l ʊ ŋ / jee- LUUNG ; ), officially known as Keelung City ,
1148-697: The Spanish Fort San Salvador at Santissima Trinidad . They reduced its size and renamed it Fort Noort-Hollant. The Dutch had three more minor fortifications in Keelung and also a little school and a preacher. When Ming dynasty loyalist Koxinga successfully attacked the Dutch in southern Taiwan ( Siege of Fort Zeelandia ), the crew of the Keelung forts fled to the Dutch trading post in Japan. The Dutch came back in 1663 and re-occupied and strengthened their earlier forts. However, trade with Qing China through Keelung
1189-716: The area eventually passed to the Qing dynasty . Fighting between China and Europeans around Keelung occurred in the 19th century during the First Opium War and the Sino-French War . The island of Taiwan was ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War ; under Japanese rule the city was called Kirun . Keelung became part of Taiwan Province under the Republic of China after 1945. Administratively,
1230-582: The city and the harbor and by 1984, the harbor became the 7th largest container harbor in the world. The city became directly governed by the Executive Yuan after Taiwan Province was streamlined in 1998 and became a de facto first level division in 2018 following the dissolution of the Taiwan Provincial Government . Keelung City is located in the northern part of Taiwan Island. It occupies an area of 132.76 km (51.26 sq mi) and
1271-556: The city became a first-level subdivision in 2018 after the provincial government was abolished. According to early Chinese accounts, this northern coastal area was originally called Pak-kang ( Chinese : 北港 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Pak-káng ). By the early 20th century, the city was known to the Western world as Kelung , as well as the variants Kiloung , Kilang and Keelung . In his 1903 general history of Taiwan, US Consul to Formosa (1898–1904) James W. Davidson related that "Kelung"
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1312-469: The government in 1884 (Asano Cement), with help from Shibusawa Eiichi , founded Iwaki Coal Mine in 1884, Oriental Liner (Toyo Kisen) in 1896, Tsurumi Reclamation Company (Toa Construction Corporation) in 1913, Asano Shipbuilding and Engineering ( Japan Marine United ) in 1916, Nippon Chuya Bank in 1916, Oki Electric Industry in 1917, Asano and Company in 1918, Asano Holding Company in 1918, and diversified his business interests, which eventually became
1353-408: The noun root being replaced with the common Taiwanese Hokkien term for people, while the domain marker circumfix " ke- -an " being reduced to just the prefix . In 1875, during the late Qing era , a new official name was given ( Chinese : 基隆 ; pinyin : Jīlóng ; lit. 'base prosperous'). In Mandarin , probably the working language of Chinese government at the time, both
1394-507: The old and new names were likely pronounced Gīlóng (hence "Keelung"). Under Japanese rule (1895–1945), the city was also known to the west by the Japanese romanization Kīrun (also written as Kiirun ). In Taiwanese Hokkien , the native language of the area, the city is called Ke-lâng . In Hanyu Pinyin , a system created for Mandarin Chinese in Mainland China , the name of Keelung
1435-460: The sinking wreckage of the Russian protected cruiser Svetlana and rescued 291 survivors. After the war America Maru reverted to civilian use, and was assigned in November 1908 to the Japan – South America routes. On September 20, 1911, Toyo Kisen sold America Maru for 367,000 Yen to Osaka Shōsen K.K. , which operated the vessel between Kobe, Japan and Keelung , Taiwan . Requisitioned by
1476-651: The world. Education in Keelung City is governed by the Department of Education of Keelung City Government . Keelung City houses several universities and colleges, such as the National Taiwan Ocean University , Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health and Chungyu Institute of Technology . Keelung City houses the only fully oil-fired power plant in Taiwan, the Hsieh-ho Power Plant , which
1517-468: Was among the few well-known names, thus warranting no alternate Japanese romanization . However, the Taiwanese people have long called the city Kelang ( Chinese : 雞籠 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Ke-lâng/Koe-lâng ; lit. '“rooster cage', 'hencoop” or “chicken coop”' ). While it has been proposed that this name was derived from the local mountain that took the shape of a rooster cage, it
1558-464: Was hit by two torpedoes fired by the United States Navy submarine USS Nautilus 320 kilometres (200 mi) south-southwest of Iwo Jima ( 22°19′N 143°54′E / 22.317°N 143.900°E / 22.317; 143.900 ). Of her complement of 602 (511 civilians, 4 military, 87 crewmen), only 43 civilians were rescued. Contemporary Japanese press labeled the sinking of
1599-623: Was not what they hoped it would be and, in 1668, they left after getting harassed by aboriginals. During the First Opium War , the British merchant ship Nerbudda shipwrecked near the port of Keelung due to a typhoon in September 1841. Several months later, another British merchantman, the brig Ann , also shipwrecked near Keelung on March 1842. Hundreds of survivors from both ships were captured by Chinese authorities and transferred to Taiwan . Two senior Chinese officials, Dahonga and Yao Ying, filed
1640-664: Was placed into scheduled services on the north Pacific Route. Upon docking in Honolulu in October 1899, America Maru was suspected of bringing rats with the bubonic plague to Hawaii and was placed in quarantine by American authorities. In an effort to control the epidemic, Honolulu's Chinatown was burned down. In December 1900, noted author and physician Hideyo Noguchi travelled to the United States aboard America Maru . In June 1901, after Kuomintang leader Sun Yat-sen 's revolt against
1681-399: Was upgraded to a city in 1924. The Pacific War broke out in 1941, and Keelung became one of the first targets of Allied bombers and was nearly destroyed as a result. After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in October 1945, Keelung was established as a provincial city of Taiwan Province . The Keelung City Government worked with the harbor bureau to rebuild