As public visits to the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison entered the second day, families were drawn for a rare Father's Day military experience.
The open day was part of the celebrations for the upcoming 29th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region next Wednesday (Jul 1), with a total of three barracks set to open during the coming weekends for reserved residents.
Queues were seen early Sunday morning touring the Naval Base, snapping photos, watching drills, and posing with soldiers. The day began with a flag-raising aboard the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's guided-missile frigate Suqian, where naval personnel demonstrated semaphore flag signaling to wish Hong Kong a better future.
While military band marches and training drill showcases entertained the crowds under the sun, the exhibition center proved just as captivating for visitors with its wide array of scale models of fighter jets, warships, military vehicles, and tanks.
"The equipment model display area has been the biggest hit, as most of them have never seen them up close," said PLA Hong Kong Garrison Army Lieutenant Qiu, who was responsible for receiving visitors. Highlighting a total of 104 pieces on display that cover a wide range of PLA equipment, she believed the open day offered Hong Kong residents a rare glimpse into the nation's military capabilities.
Qiu reported a higher turnout than yesterday, adding that there were many students and children among the crowd. She expressed hope that Hong Kong's youth can learn more military knowledge from this experience.
According to reports, the garrison has now held 35 open days since its deployment, welcoming over 930,000 visitors. The coming weekend will see Shek Kong and San Wai barracks open with simulated shooting and vehicle-driving experiences.
