Military enthusiasts have gathered on both sides of Victoria Harbour to bid farewell to two People’s Liberation Army naval ships at the end of their four-day port call in Hong Kong as part of the National Day celebrations.

Some fans, many of them from mainland China, arrived as early as 7.30am at the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront to secure a good spot to view training vessel Qi Jiguang and amphibious assault ship Yimeng Shan as they departed on Friday.

As the ships passed through the harbour, there was a flurry of excitement as people swarmed forward to catch a glimpse of the vessels. The ships blared their horns, prompting cheers and waves from the onlookers.

Gan Hanyun, a 50-year-old military hardware enthusiast from Shenzhen, said he left home at 6.00am so he could see the ships.

“I am very excited and very emotional,” he said. “I want to capture both of the ships as they leave, as it is very rare for us to see them and we don’t know when they will be back.”

Having photographed the two ships as they entered Hong Kong on Tuesday, Gan came better prepared with more camera equipment after his earlier experience.

“I didn’t get a perfect shot the last time. This time, I want to get a better picture of the Qi Jiguang,” he said. “The ship was much bigger than I expected, it was completely out of my frame.”