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In the 19th century, the British wanted to counter Russian influence, so they helped both China and Japan modernize their navies. Mawei became home to Foochow Arsenal, China's first modern naval shipyard with docks, a Naval School and other military facilities that were built to protect the arsenal. Nowadays, the relics of Foochow Arsenal are open for visitors. On the site of the arsenal, the new Mawei Shipyard is busy working every day.
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福州马江海战纪念馆
Not far from the arsenal, at the base of Maxian Mountain, there is a small memorial temple, the Zhaozhong Temple (昭忠祠), which is dedicated for those who fell in the battle of Fuzhou on August 23, 1884. The temple is now part of the Majiang Sea War Memorial and hosts an exhibition on the battle. This was the opening battle of a Sino-French War, mainly over Chinese objections to France's expansion in what is now Vietnam, then a Chinese tributary state. While neutral American and British vessels watched, the French sank 9 of the 11 ships in the Chinese fleet, while losing only one torpedo boat. They then bombarded the dockyards and sailed away, pausing only to destroy all the Chinese forts downriver. At least 2000 Chinese lives were lost, and 10 French.
罗星塔公园
About two kilometres southeast of the Mawei Shipyard, is Luoxingta (Luoxing Pagoda). The government of Mawei District have built a beautiful park around it. Visitors can climb a small hill to reach the bottom of Luoxingta.
中国船政文化博物馆
马限山公园
On Maxian Mountain, there are the sites of an English-style prison and the Maxian Mountain Mesoslope Battery, subordinate facilities of the Foochow Arsenal.