Hong Kong naval base open house

On display this year are the newly issued ZSL92B/WZ551B 6x6 Armored Personnel Carrier, the Z-8HK S&R helicopter (here) and the Hmmwv knock-off.

PLA naval base open to HK residents
Xinhua, May 1, 2010
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-05/01/content_19952343.htm

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison troops in Hong Kong Saturday opened their naval base to HK residents to celebrate the Labor Day.

More than 13,000 Hong Kong residents thronged into the PLA naval base at Ngong Shuen Chau, also known as the Stonecutters Island, which is located at the western entrance of the famous Victoria Harbor.

Many visitors came with their family members. They lined up in several long queues at the entrance of the naval base before 9:30 a.m. local time when the camp-visiting began.

In the following five and a half hours of camp visiting, excited Hong Kong visitors were able to have a close glimpse of the PLA soldiers and officers' daily life, their training and military exercise as well as their morale.

After a national-flag raising ceremony, a PLA military band played several ceremonial and marching songs. PLA soldiers presented visitors with Kungfu show, anti-terror raids and coordinated rescue exercises, battlefield performance as well as use of weaponry.

These military programs and performance won thunder applause and cheers from the audience.

The PLA Garrison troops will open another two military bases for HK residents on Sunday. One is the Shek Kong base for the PLA Air Force while the other is the San Wei barrack for the PLA Army.

The PLA Garrison troops said that in total, more than 35,000 Hong Kong residents were expected to visit the three military bases.

The PLA garrison troops in Hong Kong are considered as the cream of the PLA, widely known for their high discipline and high morale.

Since July 1997 when this metropolis was handed over from Britain to China, the PLA Garrison troops in Hong Kong have opened their barracks, once or twice every year, to local residents. And such camp-visiting activities have been very popular among HK's more than 7 million residents.

Since 1997, the PLA Garrison troops have organized 20 camp-openings for Hong Kong residents, luring nearly 400,000 locals to visit the barracks.