By Vivian Au
Crowds of fans and onlookers gave an emotional welcome to the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its accompanying strike group when they sailed into Hong Kong waters on Thursday for a five-day port call.
Many are seeking alternatives or the best vantage points to view the fleet, as the Shandong is anchored to the west of Victoria Harbour. The other three vessels 鈥 the missile destroyers Yan鈥檃n and Zhanjiang, and the missile frigate Yuncheng hull number 571 鈥 are moored at the PLA pier on Stonecutters Island.
The Post lists five locations or ways to get the best view of the fleet.
1. West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District emerged as one of the popular spots recommended by mainland Chinese social media platform RedNote, attracting visitors from overseas.
Among them was Kyrin Li Qilin, a 19-year-old aviation management student, who travelled to Hong Kong from Yunnan specifically to see the military fleet. She spent an extra day and about HK$1,000 (US$127) in the city on Thursday while on her way to New Zealand to start a new semester.
鈥淭he American fleet came first, and now the first Chinese-made one also came. I鈥檓 very amazed,鈥 she said while taking pictures of the Shandong at West Kowloon waterfront.
2. Kennedy Town
Kennedy Town, located on Hong Kong Island, also drew a significant crowd, establishing itself as one of the best viewpoints for a relatively close look at the Shandong fleet.
The Kennedy Town Praya is a prime spot, also offering a coffee shop and restaurants.
Among the about 60 individuals queuing along the waterfront in the morning was Tony Wu, a 27-year-old public relations worker from Shenzhen, who took a day off on Thursday specifically to witness the ships.
鈥淲e took the first high-speed train this morning at 6.30am and got here pretty quickly,鈥 Wu said.
As he photographed the warships, he added that he felt people were 鈥渃oming together to celebrate鈥 not only Hong Kong鈥檚 28th anniversary of its return to China but also the 80th anniversary of the war against Japan.
3. South Horizons
Located in Aberdeen, at the western end of Ap Lei Chau, the waterfront of the South Horizons residential estate on southern Hong Kong Island became a bustling vantage point for the fleet entering the city.
People could watch the frigate Yuncheng sailing past at South Horizons when the fleet came to Hong Kong from the city鈥檚 southeast, along the East Lamma Channel.
Hundreds of people packed the esplanade and took pictures when the fleet passed by early in the morning.
As the fleet will depart the city using the same route, those who missed the arrival can see the warships off at South Horizons between 10am and noon on July 7.
4. Ferry Routes
For those seeking a closer experience, several recommended ferry routes allow the public to get nearer to the Shandong, including those between Central and Discovery Bay, Discovery Bay and Peng Chau, and Central and Peng Chau.
Water taxis offer a special route to watch the Shandong between Thursday and Sunday, at a cost of HK180 per adult and HK120 per child for an hour-long ride from Tsim Sha Tsui East Public Pier. The tour comes with a free drink.
The Harbour Cruise Bauhinia ship offers a three-hour afternoon tea voyage on Saturday for HK180 per adult and child, and HK$90 for the elderly, with a highlight of seeing the Shandong from afar. The cruise will depart from the North Point ferry terminal.