After the Opium War, British opium trafficking ships anchored in the waters of Luoxingta, Minjiang River, Fuzhou. In the name of arresting pirates, the British indiscriminately arrested innocent boat people, extorted escort fees, set up their own prisons, and abused punishment, forcibly detaining some so-called "unruly" China people here (mainly China people who expressed serious dissatisfaction with the British rude behavior).

The original site of the prison was Zangqian Mountain in Cangshan District, Fuzhou (now near the north of Cangshan Campus in Fuzhou, Fujian Normal University), and then it was rebuilt on Ma Jian Mountain, namely Meiyuan Prison, for fear of attracting people's attention.