Thousands of students and educators from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region enjoyed a special Friday morning tour of China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, ahead of its public opening this weekend.

The event aims to strengthen patriotic pride and showcase national defense achievements.

The tour was followed by a national-defense-themed lecture at the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base on Stonecutters Island.

Captain Yang Yingnan, speaking aboard the Shandong, emphasized the carrier’s role as a symbol of China’s military prowess that can boost patriotic feelings.

“We hope to demonstrate to our Hong Kong compatriots the nation’s strong comprehensive national power and defense capabilities, and allow everyone to feel the pride of being Chinese and deepen their patriotism,” he told reporters, detailing the ship’s air wing, which includes J-15 fighter jets — known as Flying Sharks — and anti-submarine aircraft.

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Nick Lam Chi-wai, assistant principal of King’s College — a HKSAR government-run boys’ secondary school — said the tour allowed their 45 students to witness the PLA’s professionalism firsthand and better understand its role in national defense.

“We’ll share this experience during our school’s closing ceremony (for this semester) to further reinforce national security education,” he said.

High school student Cliff Wong Liang-zhi, a military enthusiast, was thrilled by the tour, saying he’d barely slept last night.

Determined to capture clear photos of the cutting-edge aircraft, he had brought along a phone with an upgraded camera.

“I knew the Shandong was over 300 meters long, but seeing it up close took my breath away,” he said.

Middle school student Chloe Lo said, “No online photo could prepare me for how visually striking and grand the Shandong is up close.".

She noted the special significance of the carrier’s visit coinciding with the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, saying it “deepened [her] understanding of our nation’s strength and unity.”

Captain Yang said crew outings will be organized to let the crew experience Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.

He said he wanted to visit popular spots like Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay during his shore leave.

The students explored the deck and interacted with crew members like Gao Yan, who described her deployment to Hong Kong as “exciting” and said she was “loaded with anticipation”.

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The tour is part of a five-day visit by the Shandong and its three escort ships — the Yan’an (Type 055 destroyer), Zhanjiang (Type 052D destroyer), and Yuncheng (Type 054A frigate) — which officially began on Thursday.

The PLA Hong Kong Garrison has allocated 10,000 free tickets for weekend visits —2,000 for Shandong viewing at Victoria Harbour, and 8,000 for tours of the Zhanjiang and Yuncheng at Stonecutters Island.

During their stay, naval officers will engage in soccer and tug-of-war matches, and cultural exchanges with the PLA Hong Kong Garrison and SAR government disciplinary forces, which include the police and fire services.

A farewell ceremony will take place at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks on Monday at 10:00 am, when Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki will deliver a speech.

Lesley Liu and Huang Yanan contributed to this story.

Contact the writer lilei@chinadailyhk.com