Over 15 years of global missions, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship Peace Ark has delivered medical care to more than 370,000 people across 52 countries, transforming humanitarian outreach into a powerful vessel of diplomacy and friendship.
The hospital ship, China’s first domestically designed and built standardized oceangoing medical vessel, was commissioned in December 2008 with the hull number 866. With a displacement of 14,300 tons, it houses five major medical zones, namely casualty transfer, triage, outpatient, inpatient, and evacuation, which span 4,000 square meters. Since its maiden overseas voyage in August 2010, the Peace Ark has sailed over 320,000 nautical miles, visiting 52 countries across three oceans and six continents, providing medical services to over 370,000 people.
Shen Xurong has been part of the Peace Ark's crew since its commissioning 17 years ago, participating in all ten "Mission Harmony" tours.
"Back in 2010, during my first mission abroad, I felt so excited and had a strong sense of responsibility. We had never been to those waterways, so we had to carefully chart our course, exploring and learning as we went," he recalled.
The mission extends beyond providing treatment onboard. The medical teams regularly conducted clinics in remote areas, expanding their reach and serving a wider population.
These efforts have fostered deep connections with the people of the countries visited.
"Usually when we think of the army, all we think about is war. This is like having an army going around the world, helping people, that's really nice. That's really good," said a resident of Seychelles.
PLA Navy hospital ship celebrates 15 years of humanitarian missions overseas
