The Great Hsi-Ku Arsenal , was a Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

 Imperial Arsenal that stored munitions, rifles, and millions of rounds of ammunition. In addition tons of rice and medical supplies were stored there. The facility was guarded by Qing Imperial troops using rifles and German (Krupp) made field guns mounted as defensive batteries. On the banks of the Pei-ho River, it was located approximately eight miles northwest of Tientsin, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

It was principal in providing an impromptu safe haven for western troops retreating from a failed rescue attempt (Seymour Relief Expedition) of the Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

 foreign legations during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion

Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...

in China,