Navy warships' 'Open Day' activities spur public zeal

BEIJING - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has opened more than 30 vessels to the public during "Open Day" activities in the past five years, attracting over 200,000 visitors.

More than 90 percent of the vessels involved are warships of the naval force, the flagship newspaper of the PLA reported on Saturday as the PLA navy is about to mark its 65th anniversary on April 23.

It is now a regular practice for the Navy to open warships to the public, the PLA Daily said, adding that more will be accessible to the public in the future.

In April 2009, an unprecedented parade of navy ships and an international fleet review marked the Navy's 60th anniversary. The missile frigate Mianyang, the hospital ship "Peace Ark" and many foreign vessels were open to public visitors during the event.

Such open days - usually staged in port cities including Qingdao, Dalian and Shanghai for anniversaries - are being held more frequently to enable the public get a better understanding of naval forces.