A fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by China's first domestically built aircraft carrier Shandong, departed Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.
The fleet, including missile destroyers Yan'an and Zhanjiang and missile frigate Yuncheng, arrived in Hong Kong Thursday morning for the visit. Shandong and Yan'an were anchored near Victoria Harbor’s west end, while Zhanjiang and Yuncheng docked at the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's naval base on Stonecutters Island.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base.
Early that morning, locals and student representatives gathered at the dock of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's naval base in Stonecutters Island, where the Zhanjiang missile destroyer and the Yuncheng missile frigate were prepared for departure. In the vibrant waters of Victoria Harbor, the aircraft carrier Shandong and the Yan'an missile destroyer displayed signal flags stating "Thanks for your support" and "Serving the people."
Around 10:00, the farewell ceremony began, during which the fleet's commander expressed sincere gratitude to the HKSAR government and the public for their warm welcome.
After the ceremony, the Zhanjiang and Yuncheng sounded their naval whistles, and the crew lined the sides to wave goodbye to the crowd on the dock. The two vessels then departed to join the Shandong and Yan'an in a designated sea area, escorted by HKSAR helicopters and vessels.
Statistics indicate that over 30,000 people visited the naval vessels during the fleet's stay.
Naval fleet led by aircraft carrier Shandong concludes Hong Kong visit
