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Soldiers replaced their guns with handshakes, and were greeted by smiles and queries from the curious locals. The soldiers are usually sequestered in their barracks and are not seen except on designated "open days."
Captain Sin Tao, who is normally stationed at the PLA headquarters in central Hong Kong, today was greeting visitors to the barracks on Stonecutters Island. Opening the barracks to the public is a special event that allows the soldiers to show their human face and refute the hostile image many local people have of the soldiers from mainland China. "Hong Kong is such a beautiful place, and we want people to understand us and the work that we do," he said.
PLA troops have been stationed in Hong Kong since July 1, 1997, when the British colonial government handed the territory back to China. Their duties are routine for the most part -- handling administrative tasks, maintaining military facilities, and training. The troops do not interfere in the local security affairs of Hong Kong, but they are entrusted with defending the territory in the unlikely event of war, as well as helping restore stability in the face of any major disasters that might strike.
Sentries on official duty at the Stonecutters Island barracks stood impressively still, not batting an eye as crowds milled around them, ignoring people posing for photographs, kids saluting, and a gaggle of teenage girls mischievously hiding behind them, giggling "handsome men." These stone-faced guards sent the message that army life is serious business, but soldiers on the other side of the fence looked less menacing as they shook hands with visitors and demonstrated the use of guns and artillery.
When not on guard duty, these men in uniform are anything but intimidating. Soft-spoken yet mature, their communications were brief but informative. The local people seemed to love it, especially those in Room 107 where marine Quan Yue Zhong patiently answered a barrage of questions ranging from his routine at the barracks to his roots in China.
"I am from Guangdong province and have volunteered to be here," Quan said. "I like it here. Yes, I am paid some amount in Hong Kong dollars and some in Chinese currency. No, I do not have a wife. I am 20 and single," at which a group of young girls yelled, "Wow!" One quickly reached for his cap and posed alongside for photos. Everybody clapped. Karen Chan, an onlooker, quietly whispered, "Isn't he cute? They are so good."
If "good" is the image the PLA wanted to project of its troops through this public relations exercise, it has hit the bull's eye. This glimpse of army life is gratifying to civilians who have no opportunity to see or experience the tough daily drills and regimented schedule, or to consider the emotional strain of being far away from loved ones and the call of duty in a crisis where death is a possibility.
Marine Huang Lei has been in the barracks for six months. "I like to go outside (the barracks) and see Hong Kong. We can get permission subject to verification from our seniors," he said. Like Huang, many of the soldiers do feel a longing to be part of the community. They never leave the barracks as a group, and remain virtually invisible to Hong Kong.
Today is special, therefore, for the soldiers and the local people, and their exchanges are easy and friendly. Days like this are supposed to help the people of Hong Kong grasp the importance of national defense, and also to inspire in them a sense of patriotism -- a task the Chinese authorities have been steadily working to accomplish over the past 10 years. The barracks have been opened 15 times since 1997, and 280,000 people have visited them.
When it was time for the visitors to leave the barracks, Captain Tao was at the gate. "I hope you will visit us again," he said in English to a foreign visitor, with a charming smile.
