Hong Kong residents snap up tickets to tour PLA Navy ships

For the second time in a little over two months, the People's Liberation Army Navy has filled the hearts of Hong Kong residents with excitement by offering free tours of two of its vessels during the National Day holiday, tickets for which were snapped up within minutes of their release over the weekend.

The public's enthusiastic response mirrored the patriotic fervor generated by the visit of aircraft carrier CNS Shandong in July. This time, the chance to step aboard the homegrown training vessel Qi Jiguang and landing ship Yimengshan proved equally irresistible. A total of 11,000 tickets, released in batches through the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's official WeChat account, were claimed almost instantly.

The two ships will dock at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base and remain open to the public on National Day on Wednesday and on Thursday, offering a rare, up-close look at China's growing naval prowess.

The release of tickets became an event in itself, with determined local residents adopting various strategies to secure a spot for themselves. For families like Li Qiuying's, the vessels are more than military hardware, they are embodiments of national pride.

"This will be our first time on a warship," said the 31-year-old mother, noting her young son's fascination with the military since watching the live broadcast of the V-Day parade on Sept 3.

Determined to give him a personal lesson in national history, Li and her husband prepared meticulously. They pre-filled their information and as the 10 am booking window approached on Saturday, switched from Wi-Fi to cellular data to avoid any last-minute glitches. Their planning paid off and they landed two coveted tickets.

"I look forward to hearing what my son has to say after seeing it all up close," Li said.

For some, getting a ticket was delayed satisfaction. Xi Bin, a 32-year-old e-commerce worker, missed the chance to board the Shandong in July, though seeing it from afar filled him with pride. This time, his approach was tactical: refreshing the page minutes before the tickets went live.

Xi's fascination is personal, nurtured by stories narrated by his uncle, who served for 16 years in the PLA Air Force. "He spoke of advanced aircraft, which made me very curious," Xi recalled. That childhood curiosity has now matured into profound pride. "I'm really moved by our researchers' sheer determination to bridge the gap with the West in such a short time," he said.

The visiting ships are significant both for their modern capabilities and their historical namesakes.

The Qi Jiguang, commissioned in 2017, is a 163-meter-long training vessel with a full displacement of 9,000 metric tons.

The Yimengshan entered service a year earlier. With a displacement of about 19,000 metric tons, it is a multi-role vessel capable of combat, disaster relief and medical assistance.

Their names pay tribute to pivotal chapters in Chinese history. Qi Jiguang was a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) general renowned for defeating Japanese pirates, while the Yimeng Mountains in East China's Shandong province served as a crucial base during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

This symbolism is not lost on the ticket-winners. Jason Li, 25, who set alarms to secure tickets for himself and his sister, said the namesakes are timeless symbols of national resilience. "We must carry their spirit forward, adhere to peaceful development and work for national rejuvenation," he said.

Zhu Huilian, a Chinese mainland student at Hong Kong's Lingnan University who also secured a ticket, views the event as a unique opportunity to observe China's state-of-the-art weaponry.

"This advanced hardware serves as a powerful deterrent, ensuring our safety and helping to safeguard world peace," she said.

The visit includes a special preview for selected students on Tuesday afternoon, part of Hong Kong's ongoing drive to boost patriotism and a sense of national identity among the youth.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the ships' stop in Hong Kong is part of a scheduled far-sea training mission that will also include port calls in Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore. The fleet carries some 1,200 PLA soldiers and naval academy students, who will undergo practical training in ship handling, oceanography and meteorology during the voyage.