Some water transport operators are cashing in on the high-profile visit of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its strike fleet to Hong Kong by ferrying visitors for a better look, although marine police have stopped their vessels from getting close.
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Hong Kong Water Taxi, owned by the Oriental Pearl Cruise Company, organised special sightseeing tours for visitors to get a closer look on Thursday afternoon, and demand was so strong that it was adding more trips on Friday.
Another firm, Harbour Cruise Bauhinia, is offering a three-hour afternoon tea voyage on Saturday for HK$180 for adults and children and HK$90 for the elderly, with a highlight of seeing the Shandong from a distance.
The Shandong, China’s first home-made warship, was accompanied by the missile destroyers Yanan and Zhanjiang, as well as the missile frigate Yuncheng, on its five-day visit from Thursday to Monday. All tickets to get on board the three smaller warships were snapped up in about a minute.
John Zheng Fangxiang, deputy general manager of Oriental Pearl Cruise, said the special tours were well-received with 700 to 1,000 passengers per day.
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