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A dramatic lithographic view of the Japanese assault on the fortified city of Jiuliancheng (Kyūrenjō) during the opening months of the First Sino-Japanese War. The scene depicts the First Army crossing a marshy causeway under artillery fire as they advance on Chinese positions. In the foreground, infantrymen fire from a concealed position while a line of troops charges behind a sword-bearing officer. In the distance, artillery contributes to the encirclement of the walled city, which is shown under bombardment and partially in flames.
Jiuliancheng (九連城) was a strategic stronghold on the north bank of the Yalu River, marking the Qing Empire’s defensive line along the Korean-Manchurian border. On the night of 24–25 October 1894, Japanese forces launched a coordinated assault, forcing the Beiyang Army to abandon its positions and opening the way to Andong. The engagement marked the beginning of Japan’s advance into Manchuria.
Published in Tokyo by Ariyama Teijirō, a pioneer in Meiji-era lithographic printing, this image belongs to a short-lived but important genre of single-sheet war prints. Unlike the more widely known woodblock triptychs of contemporaries such as Kiyochika, Ariyama’s lithographs embraced European techniques, giving his works a distinctive texture and immediacy. Issued within weeks of the events they portray, they catered to public appetite for battlefield news and imperial propaganda.
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