Navy officers carefully studied the bay's geography and prepared a detailed plan for their assault. They informed the local government of their plan just before the maneuver was due to start, only to discover that there was a primary school on a nearby hilltop, and that the pupils would be arriving around the time the assault was taking place.

"We certainly didn't want to make a big fuss and scare the kids," said the captain. "So we reported this latest information to our superiors, who decided that we would have to carry out the maneuver before sunrise."

"In this way a regular maneuver was changed into a nighttime one, which could have been dangerous for the troops involved," he said. In the end, the maneuver was a success, and there were no casualties.

These struggles to ensure peace for their neighbors have made the soldiers and officers curious about Hongkongers.

"Hong Kong people are always nice when they visit our barracks on the open days." said Liao. "They are gentle and polite. They never spit or pick flowers. They showed us a society that is different from what I've seen in Hong Kong movies."

"Before I arrived here, my friends and parents - and even I - used to worry about my safety because of what I saw in movies about goo-waak-chai (young and dangerous people)," he said. "But that was a false impression. People here are good, and they obey the laws. I really want to know more about them."

Huang Sujuan, a nurse at the military hospital, said she was curious about how local hospitals could run so efficiently.

"I visited one once when I took a sick visitor over during an open day," she said. "It was very quiet, the emergency room was in order and the nurses all looked kind and professional. I'd like to talk with them if I have the chance."

The curiosity goes both ways. Hong Kongers also want to know what the PLA soldiers are like. More than 270,000 people, foreigners included, have visited the barracks during the 14 open days that have been held in the past decade, said Wang Jitang, commander of the PLA in Hong Kong.

The PLA has also organized two summer camps, in which some 100 local children have taken part.

"We did some military exercises, which the kids found exhausting at first," said Wang Peijun, political instructor of a battalion stationed at the southern tip of Hong Kong Island. "But after two weeks they became great friends with the officers. They cried when they had to leave, and we cried too. It was like the day soldiers retire."

Many of the former campers have returned to the garrison during open days and have helped the soldiers and officers communicate with the visitors, said Wang.

Hongkongers' attitude towards the PLA has changed slowly over time, according to Hou Yujuan, who has been a nurse at the military hospital since 2003.

"People used to be very curious about the army, while they kept their distance from us," she said. "Every time we went out, many people asked to take photos with us, but few wanted to talk."

But people are starting to warm to the soldiers. Hou cited the example of a woman who visited the garrison with her husband on May 1 this year. The couple had left home at 6:30 am and traveled three hours to the base. Because of the long journey, the woman felt sick, and Hou ended up spending the day with her at the hospital.

"She held my hand and invited me to visit her when we parted," said the nurse. "She made me realize that understanding is only achieved through communication."

Troops care for people, animals and environment

While looking after people might be its primary concern, the PLA in Hong Kong is also involved in caring for the region's wildlife and environment.

"The number of sea eagles in the area around our barracks has increased significantly since we moved in," Lu Gang, a navy captain stationed in Kowloon, said with pride.

"And it's not just us saying so; the agriculture, fisheries and conservation department of the local government made the point in its annual report," he said.

Lu said on one occasion, an eagle dropped the fish it was carrying onto the football pitch. Rather than fly away empty-beaked, the bird landed, studied the soldiers fearlessly, then strolled toward its catch, picked it up and flew away.

"And it's not only the eagles. The monkeys are not afraid of people in the barracks either, although they would never attack anyone," Lu said.

The Environmental Protection Law of Hong Kong is one of dozens of laws all soldiers and officers have to memorize before they are sent to the special administrative region, Zhang Rucheng, political commissar of the PLA in Hong Kong, said.

As for caring for the environment, Lu said that whenever the navy sets sail, it stores all of its waste products rather than releasing them into the sea.

It also avoids sailing through the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau marine parks so as not to disturb the fish there.

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