Learn more about the names of naval vessels! Fujian, Liaoning... What are the rules for naming naval vessels?

In Fuzhou, you can see the earliest ship design agency - the Naval Academy; and the earliest naval school - the Naval Academy. Fujianese have an indissoluble bond with the navy.

In 2022, my country's third aircraft carrier was officially named "Fujian", and the whole province of Fujian was jubilant! After more than a year, the "side full-body photo" of the Fujian aircraft carrier appeared in the public's view, looking majestic

Do you know why the Fujian Ship is called the Fujian Ship?

What are the particularities of naming naval vessels?

Let us learn about it today

Naming ships

01 Aircraft Carrier

Aircraft carriers are named after Chinese provincial administrative divisions , such as Fujian 18, Shandong 17, and Liaoning 16.

China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was launched on June 17, 2022. From the Liaoning to the Shandong, and then to the Fujian, China has entered the "three aircraft carrier era."

02 Amphibious Assault Ship

Amphibious assault ships are named after China's provincial-level administrative divisions , such as the Navy's Hainan Ship.

Hainan Ship 31

The Hainan is the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China. It is equipped with missiles, naval guns, electronic warfare and other weapon systems. It has strong amphibious combat, diversified mission execution and self-defense capabilities.

03 Destroyer

The destroyers are named after China's provincial capitals, sub-provincial cities, larger cities, and prefecture-level administrative divisions that are of great significance to the history of the Party and the military , such as the Navy's Nanchang Ship, the Navy's Lhasa Ship, and the Navy's Xiamen Ship.

Nanchang Ship 101

The Nanchang, named after the birthplace of the People's Liberation Army and inheriting the hull number 101 of the first destroyer of the New China Navy, is the first Type 055 10,000-ton destroyer independently developed by China.

04 Frigate

The frigates are named after China's prefecture-level administrative divisions and county-level administrative divisions that are of great significance to the history of the Party and the military , such as the Navy Zhoushan Ship and the Navy Baise Ship.

Zhoushan Ship 529

The Zhoushan is the first third-generation frigate produced in China. After being commissioned, it has completed more than 40 major tasks, including escort in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, and joint military exercises between China and France and China and Russia. Its routes cover three continents and three oceans.

05 Landing Ship, Amphibious Dock Transport Ship

Landing ships, amphibious dock transport ships, etc. are named after mountains , such as the Navy Kunlun Mountain Ship and the Navy Taihang Mountain Ship.

Kunlunshan Ship 998

The Kunlun Mountain is the first Type 071 amphibious dock landing ship independently developed by China. It can be used as a mother ship for landing operations to transport soldiers, infantry fighting vehicles, and main battle tanks. It can also carry amphibious vehicles and has a deck platform for medium-sized helicopters to take off and land.

06 Ocean salvage and rescue ships, submarine rescue ships, etc.

Second-class ships and above, ocean-going salvage and rescue ships, submarine rescue ships, repair ships, semi-submersible ships, comprehensive supply ships, etc. are named after lakes , such as: Navy Weishan Shenhu Ship and Navy Jingpohu Ship.

Weishanhu Ship 887

The Weishanhu ship is the first batch of Type 903 ocean-going comprehensive supply ships produced in China. It is a ship that has carried out eight escort missions and has set more than 20 records in the history of the Chinese Navy, including the largest number of escort batches, the largest number of escorted merchant ships, and the longest cumulative escort distance.

07 Oceanographic survey ships, comprehensive test ships, etc.

Second-class ships and above, oceanographic survey ships, comprehensive test ships and deep-diving mother ships are named after deceased Chinese scientists , such as the Navy's Zhu Kezhen ship and the Navy's Li Siguang ship.

Zhu Kezhen Ship 872

The comprehensive marine survey vessel independently designed and built by China has the ability to investigate all elements of marine environmental information and can undertake comprehensive measurement tasks in global waters.

08 Training ships of level 2 and above

Training ships of level 2 and above are named after famous Chinese navigators, national heroes , or nouns or phrases with symbolic meanings , such as the Navy’s Zheng He ship and the Navy’s Qi Jiguang ship.

Zheng He Ship 81

The first ocean-going training ship designed and built by China is named after the Asia-Pacific navigator Zheng He, who traveled abroad 14 times, visited 29 countries, and sailed across three oceans and six continents.

09 Hospital ships of Class II and above

Hospital ships of the second class and above are named with nouns or phrases with symbolic meanings , such as the Navy's Peace Ark hospital ship.

Peace Ark Hospital Ship 866

The Peace Ark is the first standard ocean-going hospital ship designed and built by China. Its medical equipment is equivalent to that of a Class III Class A hospital in China. Since its commissioning, it has gone out of China many times and traveled to the world to provide humanitarian medical services.