Scores of Hong Kong residents set off at dawn to visit two PLA naval ships anchored at Stonecutters Island as part of National Day celebrations on Wednesday, while military college students gave a thumbs up to the city’s street food and skyline.
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Training vessel Qi Jiguang and amphibious assault ship Yimeng Shan are harboured at the island’s naval base and were opened up to residents able to secure one of the 11,000 free tickets the People’s Liberation Army gave out over the weekend.
More than 30 people were seen lining up in Mei Foo for special buses to the naval base at around 7.30am, 15 minutes before the first one left.
At the front of the queue was retiree Mak Wai-ying, who left Chai Wan at around 6am to be among the first batch to reach the barracks.
“It’s very difficult to secure a ticket, and I mobilised several of my children to help me with this,” the 79-year-old said. “I really want to see the advanced battleships of China.”
The base began admitting visitors at around 8.20am, with officers from the Immigration Department deployed at the barracks’ gate to check identity cards.