A portion of a shelter trench on Yangfungling, E. of Wei-Hai-Wei Possibly 1895

This photograph, taken on the 14th of February in 1895 by the Ordnance Survey Office, depicts a portion of a shelter trench on Yangfungling, east of Wei-Hai-Wei. It's a stark depiction of military entrenchment during a period of intense geopolitical struggle in China. This image encapsulates a moment during the First Sino-Japanese War, a conflict that marked a significant shift in East Asian power dynamics. The war exposed the Qing dynasty's military inadequacies and led to increased foreign intervention in China. The landscape, scarred by trenches, speaks volumes about the human cost of territorial disputes and imperial ambitions. Consider the emotional weight carried by the land itself, bearing witness to the violence and upheaval. How does viewing a landscape marked by conflict change our understanding of place and identity? While seemingly documenting military infrastructure, the photograph also captures a moment in the reshaping of Chinese identity under the pressures of imperialism.