Students and teachers in Hong Kong toured the aircraft carrier Shandong of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, visiting various carrier-based aircraft on the flight deck, tried on deck crew identification vests, and took photos with naval officers during the Shandong’s public open-house events on July 4, 2025. Photo: VCG

For the first time, the aircraft carrier Shandong formation of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a five-day visit. Excited crowds gathered along the formation’s route and on nearby hills overlooking the carrier’s anchorage. 

On Friday, the carrier opened for student visits, with invited teachers and students engaging in exchanges with the officers and sailors on board, local media reported. 

Forty-five students from King’s College visited the Shandong on Friday, HK01 reported. The school’s assistant principal, Nick Lam Chi-wai, was quoted as saying in the media report that the event allowed students to personally experience the professionalism of the PLA and how they protect the country. He added that the school will later summarize and share this experience to further strengthen national security education.

Some residents who joined the welcoming ceremony and boarded the Shandong for a tour described to the Global Times the experience as an unforgettable lesson in national security and patriotic education, saying they felt the strength of the nation and its sincere care for Hong Kong. 

On Friday, a national defense lecture was held at the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, introducing warship operations, carrier-based aircraft activities, and other military knowledge to secondary school teachers, students, and youth uniformed groups, local media RTHK reported.  

Additionally, seven members of the ship’s crew were invited to explain their various duties and roles aboard the ship to the students.

Marking the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, a PLA Navy aircraft carrier formation consisting of the aircraft carrier Shandong, the guided missile destroyers Yan’an and Zhanjiang and the guided missile frigate Yuncheng arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday morning for a five-day visit with carrier-based fighter jets, helicopters and marines, the PLA Navy said in a statement on Thursday.

An official Weibo account of the PLA released a video on Friday showing the carrier’s aircraft elevator transporting Hong Kong students who were visiting. The students took the elevator platform to the flight deck, and many of them exclaimed “Wow!” as they arrived. “Who wouldn’t be envious of the “aircraft carrier-style elevator”? I won’t say who!” a Weibo post said. 

Chan Yung, a deputy to the National People’s Congress from the HKSAR and Legislative Council member who boarded the carrier, told the Global Times that this visit felt markedly different from his past experiences visiting the aircraft carrier Liaoning and amphibious assault ship Hainan. In addition to being awed by the fleet’s sheer magnificence, he said this time he felt even more exhilarated.

He said that the growing strength of the motherland’s national defense and military power, combined with Hong Kong’s transition into a new stage of governance and prosperity, would enhance residents’ sense of security and well-being. 

The Shandong‘s visit holds profound meaning, Wong Kam-leung, the chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers who also boarded the carrier on Thursday, told the Global Times. 

“It showcases the formidable strength of China’s navy in the new era and reflects the central government’s deep care for Hong Kong and reinforces the recognition of national sovereignty,” he said. 

With the Shandong opening to public visits, interactions between naval officers and residents are expected to bridge the gap between the military and the civilians. It will also offer young people a vivid platform for national defense education, serving as a new platform for fostering patriotic values, Wong said. 

The carrier will be open to the public visit from Saturday to Sunday. A total of 10,000 tickets are available via the official WeChat account of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong, 2,000 for the Shandong and 8,000 for the Zhanjiang and Yuncheng, according to DotDotNews.