PORT ARTHUR ( Chin. Lii-shun. Ii7otr). A town and strongly fortified naval station near the Lao T'ich Shan promontory of the peninsular por tion of the Manchurian province of Shing-king or Fung-Cien fu. leased by China to Russia with cer tain adjacent territory for a period of 25 years under an agreement dated March 27, 1898 (Map: China. F 4). The object of Russia was to secure a naval station which she could defend for the use of her war-vessels in Eastern waters. and the lease was granted with the distinct understanding that "it shall not prejudice C hina's sovereignty over the territory." It was further agreed that the port should be closed to all vessels except Chinese and Russian men-of-war. The town lies on the slope of the high hills which surround the oval inlet which forms the harbor, in lat. 38° 4S' N. and long. 121° 20' E. The inlet on which it stands measures about two miles from east to west and one from north to south, and is well protected from storms by a spit of land which runs diagonally across its northern end. The harbor proper has been much enlarged by blasting and dredging; new docks, barracks, an arsenal, and warehouses have been built, and the place rendered impreg nable. On the west side of the town is the
terminus of the Russian railway to Harbin. See MANcutquA.
Lii-shun K'ow was formerly only a small fish ing village at the lower end of a long mountain ous peninsula until it was selected by Li Hung Chang under the advice of German engineers for a strongly fortified naval station for the defense of the Pei-ho and Peking. In 1894, however, it was captured by the Japanese, and the Treaty of Shimonoseki provided for its cession to Japan with the whole southern coast of Manchuria from the Liao to the Yalu; but Russia, France, and Germany intervened and induced Japan to relin quish all this territory for the sum of 30.000.000 taels. and on November 30, 1S95, its evacuation was begun. Consult "Scme Facts About Port Arthur," in United &Trice Magazine, vol. cxlvi. (London, 1902). See Darr; SITING-KING; and TA-LIEN WAN.