China's aircraft carrier Shandong, currently on a visit to Hong Kong, invited a group of teenage students aboard for a guided tour and an exchange event on Friday.
Named after Shandong Province, the aircraft carrier is China's second aircraft carrier following the Liaoning, and the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier.
Many students said the tour filled them with excitement and pride.
"I'm very proud, because I saw its gigantic size when I stepped on the deck, and the weapons on display are highly advanced," a student said.
"I feel very proud and honored because this is an aircraft carrier independently built by our country," said another student.
"Our country has very powerful military equipment, from which I can feel the strength of our country," said another student.
The Shandong and its three escort ships arrived in Hong Kong for a five-day visit on Thursday.
"For this visit, our fleet has planned a series of open tour events and cultural exchange activities, mainly to show our compatriots in Hong Kong our country's achievements in national defense and military development, particularly the navy's development, to reinforce their sense of identity and sense of pride as members of the Chinese nation," said Colonel Lu Lun on the aircraft carrier.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, vessels of the People's Liberation Army Navy have paid eight visits to the city in various forms. The first visit occurred in 2002, while the two most recent took place in 2024.
This is the second visit of an aircraft carrier fleet to Hong Kong, with the first taking place in July 2017 led by the Liaoning.
The Shandong's escort ships are the Type 055 10,000 ton-class guided-missile destroyer Yan'an, the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Zhanjiang and Type 054A guided-missile frigate Yuncheng. All three ships are fully domestically developed by China.
Teenage students enjoy guided tour of aircraft carrier Shandong in Hong Kong
Teenage students enjoy guided tour of aircraft carrier Shandong in Hong Kong
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
