Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison

Beijingwalker · 2026-06-27T09:24:40+0100

Thousands flock to PLA airbase amid Hong Kong handover celebrations

‘I wanted to see aircraft, which is why I applied to visit Shek Kong barracks. They are bigger than I had imagined,’ visitor says

Ambrose Li
Published: 3:32pm, 27 Jun 2026

Thousands of residents have braved the scorching heat to watch helicopter demonstrations and try out military equipment at a PLA airbase near Hong Kong’s border.

Military enthusiast Kin Man arrived at Shek Kong with his mother from Tai Po more than an hour before the 9am opening on Saturday.

They were among the first ticket holders in line for the open day, part of celebrations marking the 29th anniversary of the city’s handover on July 1.

“I’m interested in everything military, especially the uniforms,” said the car park porter in his thirties, adding that he has been a member of the Auxiliary Medical Service for 1½ years due to his interest in uniformed groups.

Neither he nor his mother had visited Shek Kong barracks before. Man recalled that his only previous visit to a military facility was a trip to an aircraft carrier when he was in secondary school.

He said he was most excited about trying out weapons such as the R16 rifle.

A helicopter put on display at PLA Shek Kong barracks. Photo: Dickson Lee

Three PLA open days have been organised to mark the anniversary. Stonecutters Island opened to the public last weekend, while San Wai near Sha Tau Kok will open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons following the morning sessions at Shek Kong.

Cynthia Zhang, a 24-year-old PhD student in finance from northeastern mainland China, said she had been interested in barracks open days for several years after seeing posts on social media platform RedNote and was glad to finally attend.

“I wanted to see aircraft, which is why I applied to visit Shek Kong. They are bigger than I had imagined,” she said, adding that she was impressed by the drone combat display.

“The drones were flying at high speed and their attacks were very precise. At the end, they burst balloons attached to a building, releasing confetti and glitter, which was a nice touch.”

Against a backdrop of a large slogan in simplified Chinese reading “everything for winning and everything for victory”, military personnel staged drilling, musical and drone combat performances.

Five helicopters of two types, designed for rescue and attack, were also on display. Pilots demonstrated manoeuvres including nodding in greeting and circling while keeping the nose pointed at a fixed position.

Visitors could try a virtual-reality flight simulator replicating fighter jet combat, as well as wear protective gear and handle firearms under the supervision of military staff.

Liang Zhiyi, an air force captain who piloted one of the helicopters, said unpredictable winds posed a key challenge, particularly when coordinating three aircraft.

“The main difference between flying in Hong Kong and the mainland is that we have to communicate in English here, whereas we use Chinese language across the border,” he said.

Dominic Chi Siu-chung, principal of Yu Chun Keung Memorial College, led about 20 students from Secondary One to Secondary Five to the open day, calling it a “rare opportunity” to visit a PLA barracks.

“For us, it is mainly about national education. Visiting the barracks allows students to learn about the country’s development, including its military, and enhances their sense of belonging to China,” Chi said.

Ben Liang, a Secondary Four student from the school, said: “I’m interested in all things military and I want to learn more about different weapons.”