People in Tangshan welcome destroyer named after the city

People from Tangshan in Hebei province were filled with pride and excitement after the Chinese destroyer named after the city docked for the first time at its port.

"Seeing such an advanced vessel, I feel excited and proud, truly experiencing the continuous strengthening of our country's national defense," said Yao Bin, a local company employee.

Tangshan, a Chinese-designed and built advanced version of the Type 052D class of guided-missile destroyer, entered service in August 2020.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy held open day events in multiple coastal cities including Tangshan to mark the 75th anniversary of its founding.

The event in Tangshan included open-day vessel tours and military-civilian communication activities from Saturday to Thursday.

Members of the public had the opportunity to board the vessel, communicate with naval officers and soldiers, and learn about the navy.

The city also invited officers and crew of the vessel to visit significant sites in the city.

"In the past few days, I have collected a lot of information about the vessel. The more I understand it, the prouder I am," said Chen Shuyan, an eighth-grade student at Caofeidian Coastal Business District's Experimental School in Tangshan. She also boasted to her classmates about her knowledge of the Tangshan.

Since it was commissioned, the vessel has completed multiple major exercises and training, and undertaken missions such as commanding naval formations and regional air defense, she said.

When it docked at the city's Caofeidian Port on April 20, hundreds of locals gathered to witness and celebrate its homecoming.

Liu Bao'en, who lives in Nanliuzhuang village in the city's Luannan county, took his whole family to welcome his son and the vessel back home.

"My son is a sailor on board," said Liu, who retired from the navy and dreamed of his son following in his footsteps.

"At that time, I only worked on shore and didn't have the opportunity to board a vessel for missions."

His military experience and dream of boarding a vessel deeply influenced his son Liu Xi, who enlisted in 2015 and began serving on the Tangshan in August 2020.

The family's military-civilian bond represents the bond between the vessel and the locals.

Tangshan, which suffered a deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 1976, was hailed as a heroic city after its recovery from the quake and rapidly developed into a major city in Hebei.