| Name: | BETA |
| Type: | Gunboat |
| Keel: | 21/09/1875 |
| Launched: | 13/04/1876 |
| Completed: | 19/06/1876 |
| Builder: | C Mitchell & Co |
| Yard: | Low Walker |
| Yard Number: | 328 |
| Dimensions: | 340disp, 185grt, 81nrt, 115.0 x 27.0 x 9.3ft |
| Engines: | 2 x 1cyl (14 x 16ins), 235ihp, 50nhp |
| Engines by: | Thompson & Co, Newcastle |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Screws, 10.0knots |
| Construction: | Iron |
| Armament: | 1 x 11.0ins gun |
| Reg Number: | 70255 |
| History: | |
| 16/06/1876 | George Wightwick Rendel, Newcastle |
| 16/06/1876 | James Duncan Campbell, London |
| 17/06/1876 | Robert Hart & William Cartwright, Peking, China |
| 02/12/1876 | Imperial Chinese Government; renamed HU-WEI |
| No further history known | |
| Comments: | This was an Armstrong contract built using the facilities of the Mitchell yard |
| Armament was supplied by the Armstrong company at Elswick | |
| The gun could only elevate, so direction was provided by aligning the hull | |
| The purchase was financed by the Chinese Customs Service | |
| Robert Hart was the Inspector General of the Chinese Customs Service | |
| William Cartwright was Commissioner of Chinese Maritime Customs | |
| James Campbell was the London Agent of Robert Hart | |
| George Rendel was the designer of Armstrong's gunboats | |
| Rendel was in charge of the relationship between Armstrong & Mitchell | |
| 1911: Reported to be operational |
Photo of sister LUNG-HSIANG is copyright of Maritime Photo Library