Chongqing– The Zhuhai Destroyer (Hull 166) was first commissioned in October 1987 and was built over a period of three years at a shipyard in the northeastern coastal city of Dalian. The ship was a fully Chinese developed G2 series destroyer and was first launched in October 1990 and officially entered service in November 1991 with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy.

In June the following year, the Hull 166 was given the official name of the Zhuhai Destroyer. It preceded almost three decades of service in the South China Sea until the ship was withdrawn from service at a retirement and handover ceremony held in August 2020 by the Southern Theater Command.

A highlight in the Zhuhai Destroyer’s three decades of service came in 1997 during a visit to the United States and Chile in South America. The Zhuhai was accompanied by the Harbin and Nanchang destroyers as part of a fleet, representing the first occasion that a Chinese naval vessel crossed the Pacific Ocean and moored in this part of the world.

It was announced at the retirement ceremony that an agreement had been concluded with the Jianchuan Museum Cluster of Jiulongpo District in Chongqing, where the Zhuhai Destroyer would be permanently moored by the Yangtze riverfront and turned into a public museum about navy history.

On the journey from the South China Sea to Chongqing along the Yangtze waterway, the Zhuhai Destroyer underwent a simple refurbishment at Zhoushan of Zhejiang Province. It was then towed up the Yangtze River to its new home at Jianshe Wharf in Jiulongpo District.

Since the Zhuhai was recently opened for public viewing on June 27, 2021, iChongqing reporter James takes you inside to explore the decks, bridge, cabins, galley, and the impressive range of weaponry.